Keith Richards Constellation Software Inc. CSU-T BUY ON WEAKNESS May 22, 2025

The 3-year chart shows an upward trend. The 1-year is also a good chart with support at $4,200. Importantly, the stock is bouncing off that support. Looks pretty good.

Awesome compounder, strong uptrend. Only concern is that if we are, indeed, late cycle, infotech is going to be at risk. Don't put too much new $$ to work here. Wait for the bigger correction of a hefty 15-20%, likely later this year.

This name has a higher beta, and beta tells you how sensitive a stock is compared to the market.

Best software company in Canada. Growth by acquisition makes him pause, as things go well until that final acquisition hurts. Great job buying and integrating businesses. Growth being priced at an excessive premium. Solid growth but high, 40x multiple. 

He targets $4,900. It hasn't been hit like Shopify or Celestica, because CSU has so many horizontals. Microsoft has a software that is applied in many ways, but CSU is different. CSU applies their various software to specific industries, like a healthcare vertical/software. This diversification lowers volatility. Likes it.

One of a kind. One of the best compounders in the world. Big misconception is that the total addressable market is not that big. Fear that can't deploy capital for the same rate of return going forward as it has in the past. He very much disagrees with that. 

The addressable market is huge. Of course with a larger acquisition, you can't expect the same 25-30% after-tax rates of return. But on a blended basis, can still compound at very high rates of return. Yield is 0.13%.

Can't buy it that often, as it typically trades at a very high valuation. He sets a limit order for this one, and on very volatile days it tends to get filled. For the long term. Yield is 0.1%.

Claim to fame, and with tremendous success, has been to buy stable and cash-growing assets at the right price. One potential negative is whether it's hitting the law of large numbers? Now it needs larger deals to run the same playbook, and at a time when sophisticated private equity is starting to do the same thing.

Valuation is not cheap by any stretch, but you have to look at free cashflow per share and compare the growth. PE tends to be a bit messy with depreciation. Not as exorbitant as the PE ratio would suggest. Core position in Canadian portfolios.

She doesn't know why either :)  Valuation is pretty high. Strong management team. Her firm stays away from companies that are just focused on M&A growth. M&A works until it doesn't. As a company gets bigger, so do the acquisitions in order to move the needle.

A rather mysterious and opaque company. Well held, well owned, and people hold onto it for dear life. Massive compounder of 36,000% since the IPO in 2006. Acquires mission-critical, vertical market (narrow of scope -- such as an operating management system for a vet clinic or daycare or golf course) software companies. 

Tuck-in acquisitions are usually founder-led, mom & pop software companies. They keep the incumbent management team and equip them with operating efficiencies. Hundreds of acquisitions a year. Compound EPS growth at 24% over the last decade. Stock's richly valued as always at 40x PE. Fair combination of value and growth. Can't quarrel with the track record. Yield is 0.11%.