Will Danoff: ‘Be Very Careful of Unprofitable Companies’
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We’re taping this podcast live at the Morningstar Investment Conference, where we’re delighted to be joined by Fidelity’s Will Danoff. Will runs a number of Fidelity equity strategies, the best known of which is Fidelity Contrafund FCNTX, a mutual fund he’s been managing since September 1990. Morningstar named Will its Domestic-Stock Manager of the Year in 2007. Prior to becoming a portfolio manager, Will served as a retail analyst at Fidelity and assistant portfolio manager at Fidelity Magellan FMAGX. He graduated from Harvard University and earned his MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Will, welcome back to The Long View.
Episode Highlights00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:56 Investing Origins and Early Influences
00:00:53 Retail Analysis and Unit Economics
00:10:29 Reg FD Changes and Adapting Research Processes
00:15:00 Identifying Durable Competitive Advantages
00:19:24 SpaceX and Buying Private Companies
00:22:40 Investing Mistakes and Avoiding Unprofitable Companies
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