Laurium Capital

Laurium is a South African asset manager with a culture of high-performance. Since its founding in 2008, it has delivered superior returns for investors across its full range of funds.

Its diverse and experienced team ensures that every investment idea is thoroughly analysed and tested, and that risks are understood and carefully managed. Its nimble approach also means that it is able to move quickly to take advantage of the opportunities that it sees, generating the best outcomes for investors.

Investment philosophy

The Curate Momentum Equity Fund invests in South African and international shares that Laurium believes are trading at prices below their true value. These opportunities are identified through detailed research and analysis, by a team with decades of experience in both local and global markets. Laurium’s approach aims to:

Find companies with robust financial performance and strong management teams.
Identify catalysts that might cause a big change in a company’s share price.
Take advantage of high growth opportunities, particularly offshore.
Understand how market cycles could affect specific businesses.
Deliver returns ahead of the index.
Reduce risk by diversifying across both local and international markets.

Track record

Laurium’s experienced team brings a unique set of skills to the firm’s investment approach.

The firm’s focus on performance and excellence has been paramount since it was founded in 2008.
Integrity, trust and teamwork have always been key values within the business.
The diversity of backgrounds and experience in the team contributes to Laurium’s ability to find and analyse great investment ideas.
The firm is fully owned by the staff and every member of the investment team is invested in Laurium’s funds, so their interests are fully aligned with those of their investors.

Meet the team

Murray Winckler

For Laurium co-founder Murray, being a fund manager is one of the most privileged and exciting jobs in the world. Not only do you get to interact regularly with business leaders and captains of industry, but you constantly have to keep up with how markets are moving and evolving.

“Sentiment drives the market in the short term, but in the long term, cash flows and earnings drive share prices. Sticking to your philosophy in the short term can be quite hard sometimes when the market is against you. But you need to be true to how you look at and value a share.”

Gavin Vorwerg

Gavin believes that in the field of investment, like many spheres of life, there is no substitute for hard work. As co-founder of Laurium, he is proud of having assembled a talented team that engages in insightful debate that helps to prove ideas and navigate around personal biases.

“There are few things more satisfying than a well-researched, well-executed investment idea coming to fruition in our portfolios.”

Junaid Bray

Co-portfolio manager Junaid joined Laurium in 2019 because he wanted to be part of a team that was passionate about beating the markets and making money for investors. He believes that different personalities and strong debate within a team are critical to making the best decisions.

“We always want to hear opposing views to avoid confirmation bias. Ideas are always debated and discussed because we want to think about what we might be getting wrong, or what we might be missing.”

Mike Lawrenson

Having worked in the investment industry since 1998, Mike adds a wealth of experience to the Laurium team. He relishes working in a field where every day is different, and you constantly have the opportunity to engage with diverse and interesting people.

“We all have biases in some shape or form. The only real way to address them is to encourage debate, be open to discussions, and listen with an open mind.”

Rob Oellermann

Rob is Laurium’s global equity specialist, having developed a keen eye for investment opportunities over more than 30 years. He loves working in a constantly changing environment, and believes that core to making good decisions is truly understanding the businesses you are investing in.

“Mitigating your biases starts with being aware of them. And having the experience of being through a number of investment cycles gives perspective during the inevitable highs and lows.”