knowledge leaders Tag

Spotlight Lasertec: In Search of Flawless Semiconductors

16 Mar, by Knowledge Leaders Team in Knowledge Leaders

Based in Yokohama, Japan, Lasertec makes advanced inspection tools for semiconductor manufacturing. Using optical technology, its systems find defects too tiny to be seen by the human eye. In the semiconductor manufacturing process, defects may appear first on the photomask layer of a chip. If...

Spotlight Bandai Namco: Where Video Game Characters are IP

16 Nov, by Knowledge Leaders Team in Knowledge Leaders

Bandai Namco is a video game entertainment company that aims to make “play” a natural part of life. As of this year, it is the world’s third largest video game company after Sony Interactive and Nintendo. The company’s history goes back to 1950 in Tokyo, Japan,...

Mid-Quarter Update: Spheres of Innovation

14 Nov, by Steven Vannelli, CFA in Knowledge Leaders, Portfolio Management

We believe highly innovative companies, when accounted for properly, are cheaper than their non-innovative peers in all regions of the world. Below in our Mid-Quarter Update, we map the spheres of innovation in the developed world. Prefer to download this presentation in PDF? Please click here.   1.Summary We...

International Innovation

02 Nov, by Steven Vannelli, CFA in Knowledge Leaders, Markets, Portfolio Management

Investors in innovation tend to focus on the US exclusively, and some of that is for good reason as the US spends more than any other country on research and development. But there are many innovative companies outside the US that spend substantial sums on...

Spotlight LHC Group: Innovating Home Health Care

26 Oct, by Knowledge Leaders Team in Knowledge Leaders

LHC Group provides home health care services to patients in the United States, including post-acute, therapy, and hospice care. The firm also runs 124 residential facilities serving patients who have transitioned out of a hospital but whose conditions remain too severe to go home. Based in...

Knowledge Leaders US Mid-Large Innovation Analysis

25 Oct, by Steven Vannelli, CFA in Knowledge Leaders, Markets

In recent reports, we’ve been highlighting that innovation—as a factor represented by R&D as % of sales—has stopped underperforming and it is selling for an attractive valuation. We used the S&P 500, Russell 2000 and other off-the-shelf indexes. Today we will highlight one of our...

Spotlight Masimo: Sensing Better Health Outcomes

07 Oct, by Knowledge Leaders Team in Knowledge Leaders

Irvine, California-based Masimo makes non-invasive patient monitoring, measuring and sensing technologies that improve patient care in the hospital, the home, and on the go. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Masimo found itself in a unique position to support the urgent needs of both clinicians and patients...

Spotlight Shopify: Funding a New Generation of Merchants

09 Sep, by Knowledge Leaders Team in Knowledge Leaders

Shopify is a leader in commerce solutions that allow merchants to set up online stores and sell their products. The firm’s tools power millions of entrepreneurs in more than 175 countries including brands as large as Netflix, Allbirds, and Tupperware. The firm was founded in 2006...

Spotlight Salesforce: No. 1 in CRM

07 Sep, by Knowledge Leaders Team in Knowledge Leaders

Salesforce is the No. 1 provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software in the world.  Its flagship Customer 360 platform is designed to help businesses identify prospects, close deals, service customers and drive future growth. The firm was founded in 1999 in a small San Francisco...