John Rogers ,Ariel Investments founder, revealed how he purchased stocks at 'extraordinary bargains' at the beginning of the pandemic in a Thursday CNBC interview.- The veteran investor said that he bought shares of
Vail Resorts , Mattel, Viacom, and Envista holdings when they were getting crushed in March, now many of those names are up over 80%. - "If you think with a perspective of moving forward it allows you to make better decisions, these companies were getting crushed during the height of the pandemic,people didn't believe in them, and it was an opportunity to buy some extraordinary brands at bargain prices," said Rogers.
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John Rogers, Ariel Investments founder and chief investment officer, reaped massive returns from buying stocks at bargain prices in the early days of the coronavirus crash. In a Thursday CNBC interview, he revealed his strategy is to emulate Warren Buffett and think long-term when buying stocks.
"If you think with a perspective of moving forward it allows you to make better decisions, Rogers said. "These companies were getting crushed during the height of the pandemic, people didn't believe in them, and it was an opportunity to buy some extraordinary brands at bargain prices."
Among those "extraordinary" brands he scooped up is Vail Resorts, which has surged over 115% since March. Rogers said he purchased shares of the ski giant when other investors were nervous that the resort would never bounce back. Rogers believes Vail Resorts will bounce back faster than most leisure companies because skiing is already a socially distanced activity, and skiers wear masks usually by default.
The investor also purchased dental corporation Envista Holdings in March, under the logic that a pandemic wouldn't stop people from seeking dental care. He called Envista a "long, long term winner," and believes it has more upside following its nearly 180% rally since March.
Rogers also holds ViacomCBS, which is up over 200% since March. He said the stock price is still "an extreme bargain today," as the media company continues to sell at a low multiple.
"We believed in the management team there," said Rogers. "Viacom brands are extraordinarily strong, CBS brands are extraordinarily strong. And the ability now to come together and have a streaming service under the name Paramount, people are really starting to value that."
The largest position Rogers holds in any stock is Mattel. The toy company has soared over 120% off its March lows, and the investor said "there's still a long, long way to go." He praised CEO Ynon Kreiz, and added that Mattel's brands such as Hot Wheels and Barbie are exceedingly strong.