The Investors' Library - Featuring John Rotonti

There is no shortage of information for investors today and it can be overwhelming to sort through. 

I’ve spent the last few years curating my information timeline to make sure I am getting the best information possible. One of my favorite investors to follow is John Rotonti.

John is the former head of analyst training at The Motley Fool and creator of the JRo Podcast.

He is a no-nonsense investor looking for high-quality businesses to buy-and-hold and compound his capital. He has zero FOMO and encourages investing across the growth spectrum. I have learned a lot by reading and listening to his work.

Here are my favorite resources from John:

Articles & Interviews:

◾Interview with Bill Nygren

• This is the newest edition to the list. John recently launched his own podcast, and he brought out the big guns for episode #1. They dive deep into Bill’s process and discuss the qualities that lead to investor success.

◾Do You Have an Investing Checklist?

• This is the quickest way to understand John’s investing style. He has created a 10-question investing checklist to analyze businesses. Inside the article, you will find links to the investors who have influenced John’s style. Be careful; it’s a deep, deep rabbit hole.

◾Why Return on Invested Capital Is the Most Important Investing Metric

• John is gifted at simplifying complex financial metrics. This is an excellent article on ROIC and why investors should prioritize it when analyzing businesses.

◾Investing: A Q&A With Michael Mauboussin and Alfred Rappaport

• John calls Expectations Investing the best investing book he’s ever read. The authors, Mauboussin & Rappaport, have had a big influence on his style, and the article is an excellent primer for the book.

◾Interview With Value Investor Bill Nygren of Oakmark Funds

• Take a peek under the hood of legendary value investor Bill Nygren’s investing process. Bill explains his style and walks readers through his investing thesis for several businesses.

◾Sean Stannard-Stockton: Lessons from Winners Like Mastercard and More

• Sean highlights how Ensemble Capital thinks about moats and management and explains his investing approach.

◾Companies With High Free Cash Flow Margins and High Free Cash Flow Yields Massively Outperform the Market Over Time

• This article highlights the power of free cash flow.

◾Pick Winning Stocks With This 1 Simple Tool | The Motley Fool

• This article shows investors how to use free cash flow yield to value stocks.

◾An Interview with Broad Run Investment Management

• This interview has it all. Broad Run highlights its investing framework and discusses capital allocation, risk management, valuation, and more. John calls it “one of the most important interviews you’ll read.”

◾Artisan Partners: Hand-Crafted Approach, Bespoke Returns

• Artisan Partners discusses profit cycles and how they can help you identify good investments.

◾Interview With Value Investor Bill Miller

• Miller is a legend. This interview is a must-read as he walks readers through his strategy and the most important factors in analyzing a business.

◾Motley Fool All-Star Investor Roundtable

• Bill Nygren, Dan O'Keefe, and Damon Ficklin join John to discuss all things investing.

⭐New Articles ⭐: The 2 articles below are 2 of John’s latest articles.

◾Looking for the Next Great Value Stock? Don't Start With the Price. Legendary Investor Bill Nygren Explains.

• Nygren discusses all things value investing in this excellent interview.

◾My Interview With Fidelity’s Value Investing Legend Joel Tillinghast

• Legendary investor Joel Tillinghast discusses his strategy and mindset.

The JRo Show - John’s Podcast with Investing Pros

John started his own podcast in September of 2023. He interviews portfolio managers from some of the most respected firms in the business. The episodes dig into processes and frameworks, and it is unlike any other investing podcast I’ve listened to. (I will add episodes as they are released.)

◾Bill Nygren

◾Dan O’Keefe

◾Quoc Tran

◾Chris Bloomstran

◾Todd Ahlsten

◾Alex Fitch & Michael Nicolas

◾Dan Davidowitz (my personal favorite)

◾Win Murray

◾Ryan Pape - CEO of XPEL

Podcast Appearances:

◾Motley Fool Money - Lessons from Buffett’s Investing Framework

• John covers the 3 things Buffett looks for in every business he buys.

◾Motley Fool Money - Guide to Financial Statements (1 of 2)

• How to understand balance sheets and income statements.

◾Motley Fool Money - Guide to Financial Statements (2 of 2)

• The cash flow statement and what it reveals to investors.

◾Motley Fool Money - Buybacks Done Well (and Not-So-Well)

• How to think about stock buybacks.

◾Motley Fool Money - 6 Companies, 4 Strong Balance Sheets

• John and Bill Mann highlight examples of strong and weak balance sheets.

◾Chit Chat Money - Thesis for Blackstone ($BX)

• Hearing John break down a business and explain his thesis is extremely helpful. I highly recommend listening to both the BX 0.00%↑ and KKR 0.00%↑ podcast.

◾Chit Chat Money - Thesis for KKR ($KKR)

• See above.

That’s all for now. I’ll continue to add resources to this list as I come across them.