Baker Young Equity Advisor, Alex Martin
Throughout school, I always had a belief that I would work in the finance industry. Unsure which specialty was the one for me, I followed up my Uni studies by working as an accountant. Four and a half years of that was well and truly long enough to realise it wasn’t the path for me, but it was a great experience and foundation for my career, nonetheless.
A mutual friend organised for me to meet a few stockbrokers around Adelaide and soon enough I found myself meeting David Baker and Alan Young. After mentioning that I’m an Adelaide Crows fan, I was promptly offered a job! I hit the ground running and have never looked back.
After mentioning that I’m an Adelaide Crows fan, I was promptly offered a job!
The life of an advisor is certainly an interesting one, delivering daily challenges that keep you on your toes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, this is the world I thrive in. As I’ve developed my skills in working under high pressure and thinking outside the box, I thoroughly enjoy the fact that almost anything can happen at any given time in this job.
Whilst the main part of my business is establishing and managing portfolios for long term success, I get the most enjoyment out of finding the diamond in the rough. The speculative end of the market is constantly offering thrills and spills. At the end of the day, I am driven to find the value within any company and look to capitalise on that opportunity for my clients. The size of the company isn’t as important as the result for my client.
I’ve enjoyed building relationships with my clients, gaining their trust, and rewarding them with strong performance. Clients are the key to business and working with them to achieve their investment goals is a real highlight of the job.
The size of the company isn’t as important as the result for my client.
2020 has certainly been an interesting rollercoaster ride on the market, however, it has presented many opportunities along the way. The interesting takeaway for me has been the shift from traditional market favourites, such as big banks, Telstra and oil stocks, to more emerging/growth companies. The removal or reduction of dividends has certainly forced a change of mindset for investors and investments. Going forward this could quickly become the new normal, inevitably leading to many investment strategies changing. Fair to say more interesting times lie ahead!
I’ve bought and sold various vehicles in the last few years. Most noteworthy was a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. I have always loved American muscle cars and thought this was a great opportunity. Unfortunately, my ability to find and negotiate a great value deal far outweighs my mechanical abilities. The car needed far too much work to be roadworthy for me to fix, so after driving it around the block once, I sold it for a tidy profit. Fair to say, I am always looking for that next vehicle.
When I’m not at work you might find me cycling up Mount Lofty. At the start of the year, I committed to doing a charity bike ride to raise money for cancer research. The ride is set to be 400km over three days, which was initially intimidating although it did not take long for me to relish the challenge. COVID-19 has delayed the ride until early next year but that just means I have more time to adjust to riding and to raise even more funds.
To contact Alex:
amartin@bakeryoung.com.au
+61 (8) 8236 8871