In October 2018, Sears, Roebuck and Co. officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Review this case study – a slide presentation – to learn about selling points Sears experienced, such as real estate, operations, top brands, leadership, liquidity, and catalysts. In 2022, profits helped Sears emerge from bankruptcy. Sears was once the world's largest retailer, with nearly 3,500 Sears and Kmart stores. In February 2023, 17 full-line Sears stores, Sears Grand, Sears Appliance & Mattress, and Sears HomeLife stores remain. In 2020, Covid-19 breathed new life into its real estate when many sites became vaccine centers.
This presentation uses Sears Holdings Corporation (“Sears” or the “Company”) as a case study to illustrate Fairholme Capital Management’s investment strategy for the Fairholme Fund. In the following pages, we show Fairholme Fund shareholders why we “ignore the crowd” concerning our portfolio positions that are currently out of favor in the market.
However, nothing in this presentation should be taken as a recommendation to anyone to buy, hold, or sell certain securities or any other investment mentioned herein. Our opinion of a company’s prospects should not be considered a guarantee of future events. Investors are reminded that there can be no assurance that past performance will continue, and that a mutual fund’s current and future portfolio holdings always are subject to risk. As with all mutual funds, investing in the Fairholme Fund involves risk including potential loss of principal. Opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Fairholme Capital Management, L.L.C. and should not be considered a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, nor investment advice.
The Fairholme Fund’s holdings and sector weightings are subject to change. As of May 31, 2012, Sears securities comprised 10 percent of the Fairholme Fund’s total net assets. The Fairholme Fund’s portfolio holdings are generally disclosed as required by law or regulation on a quarterly basis through reports to shareholders or filings with the SEC within 60 days after quarter end. A complete list of the Fairholme Fund’s top ten holdings is available on our website at www.fairholmefunds.com.
The Fairholme Fund is non‐diversified, which means it invests in a smaller number of securities when compared to more diversified funds. Therefore, the Fairholme Fund is exposed to greater individual security volatility than diversified funds. The Fairholme Fund can invest in foreign securities which may involve greater volatility and political, economic, and currency risks and differences in accounting methods. The Fairholme Fund may also invest in “special situations” to achieve its objectives. These strategies may involve greater risks than other fund strategies. Investments in debt securities typically decrease in value when interest rates rise. This risk is usually greater for longer‐term debt securities. Lower‐rated and non‐rated securities present greater loss to principal than higher‐rated securities.
The Fairholme Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses should be considered carefully before investing. The Prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fairholme Fund, and may be obtained by calling shareholder services at (866) 202‐2263 or by visiting our website at www.fairholmefunds.com. Read it carefully before investing.
Fairholme Distributors, LLC (08/12)
The Road Ahead
We made it through the financial crisis and the housing crisis. Now we intend to make it through our current challenges and restore confidence in the company ... we do not intend to sit idly by and have it be business as usual.
— Edward S. Lampert, Chairman's Letter, February 23, 2012
Intrinsic Value: The value of a security based on an underlying analysis of all aspects of the business distinct from market value.
Market Capitalization: The total value of a company’s publicly-traded shares outstanding.
S&P / Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index: Composite of single-family home price indices for the nine U.S. Census divisions.
Credit Facility: A type of loan made to a business or corporation. Types of credit facilities include: revolving credit, term loans, committed facilities, and letter of credit.
Credit Revolver: Line of credit that can be drawn down or repaid until the maturity of the agreement.
Source: Bruce Berkowitz, Case Study III Sears This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.