Citywire Midlands Retreat 2026

AVI will review how fundamental analysis can help investors uncover market inefficiencies and identify opportunities that others may overlook. At its core, fundamental analysis is about asking a simple question: what is this business or asset really worth? That means going beyond the share price and looking at earnings power, balance sheet strength, cash flow, governance, and the quality of management. Sometimes good assets are temporarily misunderstood, ignored, or affected by short-term noise, which can create attractive entry points for patient investors. The share price reflects what the market is willing to pay today, while fundamental analysis asks what the asset is actually worth over time and the best opportunities often appear when those two things diverge.

Workshop Objectives: Examine how fundamental analysis can help exploit market inefficiencies and uncover discounted opportunities

Company Profile:  Asset Value Investors (AVI) was established in 1985 to take over the management of one of the oldest listed investment companies in London.

We are an independent, majority employee-owned boutique value investment manager with a fundamental, bottom-up, engagement-focused style. This last part is key: engagement lies at the heart of what we do, and is what makes our idiosyncratic approach so distinctive.

We manage three distinct equity investment strategies: Global, Japan, and Closed-End Funds, including our headline AVI Global Trust plc, AVI Japan Opportunity Trust plc and MIGO Opportunities Trust plc 

Our aim is to be a constructive, stable partner and to bring our expertise – garnered over four decades of investing – to realise value, thus generating long-term results.

UK large cap equities have long been home to dependable, dividend paying companies, with the FTSE All Share yielding over 3% in recent years. 

Crucially, the opportunity extends beyond yield alone. Over the past five years, the FTSE All Share has delivered double digit annual total returns, yet the market remains consistently underestimated.

Today, UK equities combine attractive income, compelling valuations and strong fundamentals, supported by favourable conditions for long term returns.

Workshop Objectives: Delegates will examine potential prospects for the UK equities market, considering both yield and total return. 

Company Profile: ClearBridge Investments is an active equity manager offering a broad range of strategies across global developed and emerging markets, local markets, and real assets. Our local market capabilities serve clients in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia. The firm manages more than $210 billion (as of December 31, 2025).

ClearBridge manages diversified, high-conviction portfolios through collaborative fundamental research to meet the needs of some of the world’s largest asset owners and financial intermediary platforms. We invest as long-term, risk-aware business owners and seek to deliver consistency of process and performance for our clients through market cycles. A focus on durability drives everything we do; from the business models of the companies we own, to the holding periods of our portfolios, to the stability and longevity of our investment professionals.
As Franklin Templeton’s largest equity specialist, ClearBridge operates with investment autonomy from headquarters in New York and offices in Baltimore, Calgary, Edinburgh, Fort Lauderdale, Leeds, London, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Markets are facing continued geopolitical fragmentation, uneven economic growth and persistent macro volatility. Against this backdrop, Fidelity portfolio manager Matt Jones will explain how absolute return equity strategies can act as a diversifier and are expected to play an increasingly important role in the future.

Workshop Objective: To gain a clear understanding of how absolute return strategies can help investors navigate an increasingly fragmented global market.

Company Profile: Fidelity International provides investment solutions, services, and retirement expertise to over 2.91 million clients worldwide. As a privately held, purpose driven firm with a 50 year heritage, we think generationally and invest for the long term. Operating across 25+ locations with $1,055.4 billion in assets, our clients include central banks, sovereign wealth funds, corporates, financial institutions, insurers, wealth managers, and private individuals.

Our Workplace & Personal Financial Health business offers individuals, advisers, and employers access to leading investment options, third party solutions, administration services, and pension guidance. Together with our Investment Solutions & Services business, we manage $736.2 billion on behalf of clients. By combining asset management expertise with workplace and personal investing solutions, we help build stronger financial futures.