Business Breakdowns

Nov 20 2024 198 ep. 55 mins 2.4k
Business Breakdowns Podcast artwork

Learn how companies work from the people who know them best. We do deep research and interview industry veterans, investment professionals, and corporate executives to explain the inner workings of public stocks and private businesses. For each company, we break down their history, business model, financial statements, secret sauce, and bull/bear case. We believe every business has lessons to teach us and Breakdowns is here to highlight them. Learn more and stay up to date at www.joincolossus.com.

  Business
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Informa: Where Industries Meet - [Business Breakdowns, EP.192]

Nov 20 2024 59 mins  
Today we are breaking down Informa. At its core Informa is a live events business headquartered in the UK. While media conversations often revolve around consumer giants like Disney, Informa operates in a different realm entirely - dominating the world of business-to-business connections through the largest portfolio of trade shows and events globally. I am joined by Nick Shenton f

Fastenal: A Nuts & Bolts Success Story - [Business Breakdowns, EP.191]

Nov 13 2024 50 mins  
This is Zack Fuss. Today we're breaking down Fastenal. Starting as a small fastener retailer in Minnesota, the company has evolved into a mission-critical supply chain partner for its industrial customers. Today, the business sports a nearly $50 billion market cap and produces nearly $8 billion in sales. The impact of Fastenal's founder, Bob Kierlin, on Fastenal's commercial succe

Demographics Driving Real Estate - [Business Breakdowns, EP.190]

Nov 06 2024 53 mins  
Today, my guest is Fernando De Leon, founder of Leon Capital Group. Fernando operates 14 different businesses under the Leon Capital umbrella, which vary across real estate, healthcare, and financial services. But as you will hear in our conversation, the businesses are connected and instruct one another. The connective tissue throughout this conversation is how demographic insight

Merck & Co: Blockbuster Drugs - [Business Breakdowns, EP.189]

Oct 30 2024 66 mins  
This is Zack Fuss. Today we are breaking down Merck, one of the world's largest and oldest pharmaceutical companies. The company has been shaping medicine and fostering innovation for over 130 years. From its humble beginnings as a small family pharmacy in Germany, today's iteration of Merck has transformed into a nearly $300 billion market cap business with particular strength in

American Tower: Signals and Stability - [Business Breakdowns, EP.188]

Oct 25 2024 40 mins  
Today we are breaking down American Tower: the REIT, the communications giant, and the infrastructure asset. To break down American Tower I'm joined by William Heard, founder and CIO of Heard Capital Management. William founded Heard Capital in 2011. Today, the firm manages $2 billion in assets, holds about 15 to 20 names, and has very specific criteria for investing in companies.

AIG: Rise, Fall, and Rebirth - [Business Breakdowns, EP.187]

Oct 16 2024 50 mins  
Today, we are breaking down the insurance giant AIG. AIG's story is one of a remarkable turnaround, a tale of a global insurance giant emerging from near collapse during the great financial crisis. Over nearly two decades, AIG has transformed itself into a more focused and efficient property and casualty insurer. To grasp the magnitude of AIG's journey, consider this: During the f

Gregorys Coffee: From Bean to Dream - [Business Breakdowns, EP.186]

Oct 09 2024 99 mins  
Today we are getting into the world of coffee with Gregory Zamfotis, the founder of Gregorys Coffee. We breakdown the New York City born coffee chain that now spans across twelve US states. This is a true look into what it takes to open up a coffee shop and the economics behind it. We get into what it's like to innovate in an industry where innovation can last a week before a comp

Going Activist in Japan - [Business Breakdowns, EP.185]

Oct 02 2024 59 mins  
Today, we are covering what might be the most interesting investment strategy I've come across in a long time: activism in Japan. In this episode, I talk with Masumi Nishida, Partner and Managing Director for Dalton's Tokyo research office. As part of this intro, I brought on the catalyst for this episode, Nick Bartolo, founder and Managing Partner of Essential Partners. The conver

RTW: Investing across Healthcare - [Business Breakdowns, EP.184]

Sep 27 2024 66 mins  
Today we are breaking down healthcare, one of the most impactful sectors in the world, yet one of the most unique for investors. My guests are Rod Wong, founder and CIO of RTW Investments, and Stephanie Sirota, chief business officer of RTW Investments. RTW was founded in 2009 and operates a sector-specific strategy in healthcare. We discuss the evolution of their model, which feel

Sherwin-Williams: Brushstrokes of Success - [Business Breakdowns, EP.183]

Sep 18 2024 64 mins  
Today we are breaking down the paint giant Sherwin-Williams. Founded in 1866, Sherwin Williams is a great example of a company where everyday consumers might not appreciate just how great of a business and stock this has been. Over the last 20 years, Sherwin has compounded earnings at 14% per year. And over those 20 years, the stock has returned 26x your investment. And that's comp