Engage

For more than 40 years, Harris Associates has developed a strong reputation as a long-term, shareholder-oriented investment firm. This approach is a byproduct of our value investment philosophy that requires every investment to meet the following criteria: 1) they are companies that we believe are priced at significant discounts to our estimate of the company’s intrinsic value, 2) that have a path to grow per share value and 3) are run by managers who think and act as owners.

We view each stock purchase as if we are buying a piece of the business and, in turn, believe that discussing relevant issues that may affect the company’s long-term performance is part of our due diligence process. We utilize engagement as a way to act in shareholders’ (i.e., our clients’) best interests to maximize the expected value of our investments.

The engagement process begins before investment and carries on throughout the investment process. By the time we decide to invest in a company, we have already concluded that management and the board of directors are likely to act in shareholders’ best interests. Occasionally, we have important disagreements about the best way to maximize shareholder value. When management does not meet our expectations, we initiate a private, direct conversation. We prefer this interaction over public shareholder resolutions. Engagement is carried out under the premise that unsatisfactory or insufficient change by the company will generally be met with divestment.

Engagement Policy