The Intrinsic Value Podcast - The Investor’s Podcast Network

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley follow up last year's TransDigm pitch with the biggest monopoly in aviation: GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE), the engine maker behind nearly three out of every four commercial flights in the world. With roughly 50,000 commercial and 30,000 military engines in service, GE has the largest installed engine base worldwide. That’s the reason Chris Hohn bets about 30% of his $50+ billion portfolio on it.

Daniel and Shawn dig into the mechanism behind how GE sells its engines at roughly zero margin because every engine comes back as three and a half times its sale price in...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley discuss Aritzia, the everyday luxury fashion brand that has become one of retail's most impressive compounders. They explore how a small boutique in the corner of a department store grew into a brand with exceptional store-based economics, a spotless balance sheet, and a huge untapped opportunity across America. With the stock falling even as the business posts some of its best growth ever, they debate whether this is a rare chance to own a durable compounder or a hot brand nearing its peak.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEAR...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley revisit the two luxury houses they passed on last time — Hermès (EPA: RMS), the 189-year-old maker of the Birkin bag, and LVMH (EPA: MC), the 75-brand conglomerate behind Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany, and Hennessy. Both stocks now sit near their lows: Hermès is down more than 50% from its February 2025 peak and trades at 32 times earnings for the first time in a decade, while LVMH has fallen to a five-year low after two straight years of declining sales — something that didn't even happen in 2009. The luxury industry has lost roughly 70 million customers since 2022, the Ch...

In today’s episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley discuss HEICO and TransDigm, two dominant players in the aerospace components industry known for their pricing power and resiliency. They’ll compare how each company grows through acquisitions and organic expansion, how they approach debt and capital allocation, and what gives each business its durable competitive advantages. The discussion also covers the risks facing both companies, including regulatory scrutiny and reliance on continued aerospace demand, as well as potential sources of future growth.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:05:30) How TransDigm built its sole...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley discuss Walmart and how it grew from Sam Walton's small-town five-and-dime into a retail giant. Today, it also makes money from e-commerce, a marketplace, advertising and memberships. They cover the scale advantages behind Walmart's everyday low prices, how its suppliers end up financing its inventory, and why its power over those suppliers continues to draw antitrust scrutiny. They also look at Walmart's capital allocation, management, growth levers and the biggest risks facing the business.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:00:39) How Sam Walton’s earl...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley revisit Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), the advertising machine behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp that reaches 3.6 billion people every day — over 40% of the world's population — and just grew ad revenue 27% to a nearly $240 billion annual run rate. Yet the stock trades more than 20% below its highs, because the money is going out even faster than it's coming in: operating margins fell from 43% to 31% in a single year, quarterly free cash flow collapsed from $8.5 billion to $784 million, and capex guidance now sits at $130–145 billion this year — with analysts penciling in $200 billion for next.

Daniel and Shaw...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley revisit Alphabet nearly two years after Shawn's original pitch, tracing how the company transformed from a cash-rich, buyback-driven business into an aggressive spender on AI infrastructure. They walk through what changed across Search, YouTube, Cloud, and Waymo, and unpack why the market's fears around AI disrupting Google were largely unfounded. Along the way, they dig into how Alphabet is funding its buildout, what that means for shareholders, and which questions will determine whether this evolved version of the business is actually better.

IN THIS EPISODE YO...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley revisit Copart (NASDAQ: CPRT), the online salvage auction giant that turns totaled cars into a global marketplace, connecting insurers with more than a million buyers across 190 countries. Copart owns over 250 salvage yards outright — land that's increasingly difficult to permit today — and compounded earnings per share at over 20% a year for a decade. But the stock is down more than 40% from its highs, U.S. insurance volumes have fallen for four straight quarters, and its main competitor, IAA, has now outgrown Copart for six straight quarters.

Daniel and Shawn dig into what actually brok...

Shawn O’Malley and Daniel Mahncke revisit Uber (NYSE: UBER), one of the largest holdings in The Intrinsic Value Portfolio, fifteen months after they first pitched it. In that time, Uber’s operating profits have roughly doubled, free cash flow has climbed to about $10 billion a year, gross bookings are compounding around 20% annually, and the board authorized a new $20 billion buyback. And yet the stock is flat, with its multiple of operating profits cut from 55 times down to roughly 22 times.

Shawn and Daniel discuss why the market is pricing Uber as though autonomy ends the story — Waymo raisin...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley break down AppLovin, the mobile advertising platform that went from a failed app recommendation tool to one of the most profitable businesses in ad tech. They walk through how the company makes money on both sides of the ad exchange, why its data advantage has been so hard for competitors to copy, and what caused the market to turn on the stock so violently after a relatively strong quarter. Along the way, they dig into the founder's track record, the buyback program that made early shareholders rich, and whether the gr...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley revisit Comfort Systems USA, a business Shawn originally passed on at $320 that has since appreciated fivefold due to explosive data center spending. The company shattered original projections, with accelerating organic growth, expanding margins, and exceptional capital efficiency. Despite acknowledging the business quality, the hosts discussed whether the original decision reflected a flawed investment process or was the natural outcome of applying a strict investment framework.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro (00:07:16) How AI data center spending transformed a boring contractor into a multi-bagger (00:22:43) How to use...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O’Malley take a deep dive into Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR), the data and AI platform behind everything from battlefield targeting systems to Airbus’s A350 production line, with customers including the U.S. Army, the NHS, Ferrari, and Airbus. Palantir is growing revenue at over 90%, with net dollar retention at 157% and adjusted operating margins above 60% — a Rule of 40 score of 155%, roughly double what the best software companies in the world achieve. It also trades at around 60 times sales, which is why The Economist called it possibly the most overvalued firm of all time.

Daniel...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze Domino's Pizza, the world’s biggest pizza franchisor built on a royalty-driven, asset-light business model. They walk through Domino's shift toward franchising and away from Company-owned stores, and what that means for the company's future revenue mix and cash generation. Along the way, they dig into whether Domino's royalty engine can keep running at the pace investors have come to expect.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro (00:01:09) Reviewing the Domino's royalty engine thesis (00:13:30) Why Domino's has moved away from Company-owned stores (00:26:05) The role of royalt...

After looking at companies that tanked in recent months in the last episode, Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O’Malley now take a look at the best-performing stocks of the pitches of the last two years. Google, Amazon, and Reddit are companies that generated great returns for the Intrinsic Value Portfolio, but there were also companies on the watchlist that turned into multibaggers in the past year.

Daniel and Shawn discuss the patterns of the stocks that gained most in value, what one can learn from that, and how they think about selling and holding positions that went up...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a trip down memory lane and look back at the pitches of the last year and a half – especially the ones that didn’t work out as hoped. Many companies that were seen as best-in-class businesses not too long ago experienced massive drawdowns in the last year. Some of them were covered on this show, and others even made it into the portfolio. 

Daniel and Shawn discuss the patterns of the stocks that lost most in value, what one can learn from that, and how the market shift towards AI changed how t...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze Exor, the Dutch holding company controlled by Italy's Agnelli family and best known for its long-standing stake in Ferrari. They walk through Exor's ownership of Ferrari, and what they like about Lingotto, Exor’s investing management company. Along the way, they dig into what could cause the current valuation gap to close or widen.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:00:50) Revisiting the Exor and Ferrari thesis

(00:02:51) How Exor’s stock reacted since the original purchase

(00:06:59) Why Ferr...

Shawn O'Malley and Kyle Grieve explore Intuit (ticker: INTU).

In this episode, you'll learn what narratives have underpinned the company’s more than 60% selloff, as Intuit claims the undesirable title of “worst performer in the S&P 500” this year. But is this a bargain price for a high-quality SaaS business, or a value trap? That’s the key question that Shawn & Kyle discuss, plus so much more!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro (00:03:08) How Intuit’s accounting software became so popular (00:11:54) What makes QuickBooks such a great business (00:19:58) Why Intuit is the worst perfor...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into DLocal (NASDAQ: DLO), the first Uruguayan unicorn and the emerging markets payment provider for companies like Amazon, Uber, Spotify, Netflix, and many more. DLocal is trading at attractive multiples while growing payment volumes at over 70% and printing cash due to high operating leverage and a high-margin business model. That cash is given back to shareholders in the form of dividends and buybacks.

Daniel and Shawn discuss whether the high customer concentration and the declining take rate justify the cheap valuation or whether the market is not understanding...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze Perimeter Solutions, a niche industrial conglomerate built by Transdigm's legendary founder Nick Howley using the same playbook that turned Transdigm into a multi-decade compounder. They break down how the company operates two very different segments, from wildfire retardants and airbase logistics to specialty chemicals and precision medical manufacturing equipment, each built around sticky, mission-critical customer relationships. They’ll also cover the company's acquisition strategy, its unusual founder's advisory fee, and the debt and litigation risks that complicate an otherwise compelling capital allocation story.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEA...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze Fairfax Financial, the insurance conglomerate that Prem Watsa built from a near-bankrupt trucking insurer into a compounding machine often compared to Berkshire Hathaway. They break down Fairfax's insurance and non-insurance segments, its use of float, and the capital allocation moves, from acquisitions to buybacks, that have driven decades of growth. The conversation also covers Fairfax's competitive advantages, key risks such as catastrophe exposure and succession, and whether the business remains an attractive opportunity today.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro (00:04:52) Why Fairfax's history shorting back...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into Pinduoduo (NASDAQ: PDD), the Chinese retail giant that has overtaken local competitors like Alibaba and JD.com and expanded internationally with Temu, which has become the most-downloaded e-commerce app in the world. They discuss how to think about the lack of disclosures and what the margin decline and growth deceleration mean for the business going forward. But also whether this presents an exceptional buying opportunity at a single-digit earnings multiple and about 60% of the company’s market capitalization in cash.

Daniel and Shawn also discuss how the Ch...

Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze SpaceX's blockbuster 2026 IPO, dissecting the company's three segments: Space, Connectivity, and AI. They’ll also look at its history, moats, capital allocation, debt, and incentive structure. They’ll stress-test SpaceX's aggressive $28.5 trillion total addressable market claim and walk through the key risks facing the business, from key-man dependence to regulatory exposure. 

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro (00:06:28) How Elon Musk's early rocket failures almost sank SpaceX (00:08:11) How Space, Connectivity, and AI segments actually work (00:10:38) Why reusable rockets are reshaping launch economics (00:12:00) Whether the AI segment i...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into Kaspi.kz (NASDAQ: KSPI), the Kazakhstani super-app that combines payments, e-commerce, and fintech into a single platform that most of the country uses every day. They unpack how the business actually makes its money across its three segments, why its dominance at home has been so hard for competitors to challenge, and how a company this profitable ends up trading at only around seven times earnings.

Daniel and Shawn discuss the company's founders and incentive structure, its expansion into Turkey through Hepsiburada, the role of its high...

Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahncke explore Restoration Hardware (ticker: RH).

In this episode, you'll learn how RH was able to reinvent itself as a high-end furniture retailer, using opulent galleries, high-end dining, private yachts, and a membership model based on Amazon Prime and Costco.

RH is an incredibly bold and unique business, not afraid to use unconventional viral marketing efforts to drive customers into stores, as they aim to set styles for the ultra-rich. Shawn and Daniel dig into the business, risks for shareholders, and estimate RH’s intrinsic value, plus so much more!

...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into Auto1 Group (ETR: AG1), the Berlin-based used-car platform. What trips most investors up about Auto1 is that it's two different businesses in one – a capital-light merchant marketplace on one side, a capital-heavy consumer retail bet on the other – and the asset-heavy model that everyone points to as the risk is arguably the same thing that kept Auto1 alive while better-funded competitors went bankrupt.

The market tends to fixate on the inventory sitting on Auto1's books and misses that the two halves of the business earn their retu...

Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze American Tower, the global cell tower business that powers the wireless networks we rely on every day. They unpack how leasing tower space to carriers creates durable recurring revenue, why its stacked competitive advantages form one of the widest moats in the market, and how a steadily growing debt load complicates the picture. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:44) How American Tower powers the wireless networks we use (00:05:52) How AMT creates recurring revenue (00:07:04) Why adding additional tenants dramatically boosts profits per tower (00:12:56) The three moats protecting American Tower from competitors (00:30:22) Why the...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into Copa Holdings — the Panama-based hub-and-spoke airline whose investment case now turns on two of the most debated questions in the stock today: whether Copa is a structural exception to the airline curse — protected by a geography no rival can copy and a cost base only a handful of carriers in the world can match — or whether even the best airline in the Americas eventually gets pulled into the same gravity that has destroyed value for nearly every other carrier.

Some investors believe Copa is a structural exception the ma...

Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze QXO, the ambitious building-products distribution company led by serial industry consolidator Brad Jacobs, a man who has turned multiple boring industries into extraordinary wealth-creation machines throughout his career. Tune in as they debate whether Brad Jacobs' unparalleled track record as a capital allocator is enough to justify investing in a business that is still very much a work in progress.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:19) How Brad Jacobs built multiple billion-dollar companies from scratch (00:05:05) The structure QXO used to go public fast (00:06:21) How Beacon Roofing was acquired despite a po...

Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahncke explore Grab Holdings (ticker: GRAB).

In this episode, you'll learn how Grab was able to quickly grow across eight countries in Southeast Asia, and what local adaptations they made to outmaneuver Uber, which eventually ceded its entire market share to Grab.  

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:34) How Grab was able to outcompete Uber (00:11:18) What unique advantages Grab has been able to take advantage of in Southeast Asia (00:13:36) Why Grab’s lending business fits so naturally into its flywheel (00:59:13) What are the biggest risks facing the company (00:43:03) Why Grab’s profit...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into Wix.com — the Israeli website-building platform whose investment case now turns on two of the most debated questions in the stock today: whether the generative-AI wave that lets anyone spin up a site from a text prompt is the end of Wix or whether Wix is too sticky, and whether the Base 44 acquisition — Wix's bet on AI-powered app generation — is the next leg of the story or a distraction from the SMB infrastructure business the company already dominates.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro

Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze LIFCO, one of the world's leading industrial serial acquirers operating through three distinct divisions spanning dental supplies, demolition equipment, and niche systems solutions across Europe.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:57) The fascinating history of LIFCO (00:07:13) How Carl Bennett built the DNA that still guides LIFCO's acquisition strategy today (00:08:54) Fredrik Karlsson's legendary track record and why he bought more stock after being removed (00:10:49) The three distinct business segments and how they drive growth independently (00:16:48) LIFCO's rigorous eight-step acquisition process (00:30:12) How LIFCO uses put/call options to align management incentives (00:39:07) Why...

In today's episode, Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze NVR, Inc., a homebuilder that has achieved incredible returns through disciplined capital allocation and aggressive share buybacks. They’ll explore NVR's differentiated business model, which helps minimize capital intensity and risk, and examine how this strategy has enabled superior returns on capital. They’ll navigate how to think of NVR through cycles and whether it’s a business that is simple to understand.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:30) How NVR became a legendary share cannibal in homebuilding (00:05:05) The LPA model and how NVR de-ris...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into Sea Limited — the largest Southeast Asian marketplace whose investment case now turns on two of the most debated questions in the stock today: whether Shopee's dominance across Southeast Asia can hold up against TikTok Shop without margins being structurally capped near current levels, and whether Sea's expansion into Brazil, head-to-head with Mercado Libre, is the next leg of the story or a costly distraction from the markets where the company already wins.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro (00:02:29) How Sea Limited was...

Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze Formula One Group, a business that commands nearly a billion global fans, generates billions in revenue from only 24 live events, and boasts free cash flow margins nearly any business would envy. They’ll trace the company’s growth history, untangle its complex capital structure, and assess its current debt situation.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

(00:00:00) Intro (00:01:13) How F1 generates billions of dollars from 24 live events (00:02:39) Why most sports franchises fail to produce cash flow (00:04:31) How Liberty got away from the tracking stock structure to simplify things (00:15:33) How the Conc...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into Microsoft — the $3 trillion incumbent whose entire investment thesis now hinges on two of the most contested questions in technology: whether AI will reinforce or quietly dismantle the software franchises that built the company, and whether the OpenAI partnership is the strategic masterstroke it appeared to be in 2023, or a relationship that is slowly turning from asset into liability.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:40) About all major business units (00:11:19) How LinkedIn’s business works (00:17:40) How the cloud business keeps growing (00:20:32) What the future plans...

Kyle Grieve and Shawn O’Malley analyze OTC Markets Group, a hidden infrastructure company that collects tolls on over 12,000 securities while operating with fewer than 130 employees. They explore why OTCM is the only viable option for small companies and international firms seeking access to the US market, and how this quasi-monopoly has generated exceptional returns without debt or excessive dilution. By the end, you'll understand the durable competitive moats protecting this business and whether the current stock price offers an attractive entry point for value investors.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:42) Why OTC Markets operates as a...

Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahncke explore CoStar Group (ticker: CSGP), the dominant provider of commercial real estate data and analytics, and assess whether the company's massive $5 billion bet on Homes.com can successfully crack the residential real estate market dominated by Zillow, or whether this ambitious expansion will destroy shareholder value.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:42) Why the company has delivered nearly 60 consecutive quarters of double-digit revenue growth (00:09:17) How CoStar built a dominant, near-monopoly position in commercial real estate data and analytics (00:18:30) How CoStar generates roughly 50% profit margins on its core B2B business (00:44:12) What ma...

Daniel Mahncke, Shawn O'Malley, and Kyle Grieve take a closer look at the Intrinsic Value Portfolio and some of the high-priority watchlist companies.

The episode covers high-conviction portfolio holdings such as Airbnb, Universal Music Group, Reddit, and Exor, as well as watchlist companies like FICO, Trade Desk, and Nintendo. They also cover companies that might need to leave the portfolio today. Candidates are TransDigm and Copart.

For each, the question is the same: What are the key points of the investment thesis, has the thesis held up, and does the current valuation still make sense?<...

This week, Shawn and Daniel won't be releasing an episode as usual, but they will be back next Sunday with a new co-host joining them to help break down companies for The Intrinsic Value Portfolio. Plus, Shawn & Daniel are moving over to the main podcast feed for The Investor's Podcast.

You can still find all of their weekly stock breakdowns here on Sundays, but if you head over to The Investor's Podcast, you'll be able to access their episodes four days sooner!

The link to the new podcast feed, where you can access episodes from...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley take a deep dive into four companies operating in the shadow of one of the greatest compounders of the last two decades — Constellation Software. Some investors believe that Topicus, Lumine, Sygnity, and Asseco Poland represent the best way to own the CSI model today, while others argue that the spinoffs lack the institutional depth and deal flow of the mother ship. Join Daniel and Shawn as they assess which of these mini-Constellations has the most compelling setup, and whether any of them deserve a spot in the portfolio.

IN TH...