Planet MicroCap Podcast | MicroCap Investing Strategies

John Loesch, microcap strategist who hunts misunderstood small caps; Tyler Ventura, long-term value investor focused on position sizing and discipline; Aaron Monroe, value investor emphasizing balance-sheet strength and aligned management. They discuss why illiquidity can be an advantage, how a three-person research process and a graduation model build conviction, and why “boring” durable businesses can quietly compound capital.

In this episode of the Planet MicroCap Podcast, I’m joined by Andrew Pogue, Founder of the Underlying Value Substack, to break down his differentiated approach to microcap investing that blends deep fundamental work with an operator’s mindset and the use of AI. Andrew walks us through how he evaluates businesses with a sharp focus on management quality and capital allocation, why he sees massive opportunity outside the U.S. in the Nordics, South Africa, Canada and Australia, and how he leverages AI as a high-powered research assistant to uncover overlooked ideas globally. We also dive into his disciplined approach to position sizing, identifying real catalysts, spotting red flags like “consulting-speak,” and why the ability to talk yourself out of an investment may be one of the most important skills for long-term success in microcaps. We mention several companies and sectors during this conversation, and I’m not a shareholder in any of them. For more information about the Underlying Value Substack, please visit: https://underlyingvalue.substack.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Diving into Micro Cap Investments 02:50 Understanding the Micro Cap Ecosystem 05:35 Investment Discovery Process 08:44 Catalysts for Investment Opportunities 11:37 Exploring International Markets: Focus on South Africa 16:45 Exploring South Africa's Investment Landscape 17:58 Navigating Investor Psychology and Promotional Cycles 20:28 Understanding Value and Catalysts in Investing 23:28 Lessons from Microcap Investing Experiences 26:41 Evaluating Management and Company Insights 30:41 Strategies for Selling and Position Management 35:14 Key Lessons from Business Ownership 37:58 Advice for New Investors in Microcaps Planet Microcap hosts the highest quality in-person microcap events in North America. The mission is to bring the best microcap investors, companies, and allocators together to gather, connect, and grow.; visit https://planetmicrocap.com/ to learn more about our Las Vegas and Toronto events. This presentation is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell any security referenced herein. Planet MicroCap Holdings LLC and MicroCapClub LLC (collectively, “we” or “our”) are not licensed brokers nor registered investment advisors. We, our partners, contractors, members, subscribers, guests, or affiliates may or may not hold positions in one or more of the securities mentioned in this presentation and may trade in such securities at any time. We may have received cash compensation from one or more participants for presenting at past, present, or future events. We recommend you consult a licensed investment adviser, broker, or legal counsel before purchasing or selling any securities referenced in this presentation.

In this episode of the Planet MicroCap Podcast, I spoke with John Petrides, Portfolio Manager at Tocqueville Asset Management. We take a step back and examine the broader market landscape—from record concentration in mega-cap tech to the evolving AI investment thesis and the growing geopolitical and fiscal risks shaping today’s capital markets. We discuss why the S&P 500’s historic concentration may be creating hidden risks for passive investors, how the AI story is shifting from infrastructure providers to real-world adopters across industries, and why geopolitical flashpoints like Taiwan could represent the market’s most significant systemic risk. We also explore the implications of rising U.S. deficits and higher interest rates for fixed income investors, and why the growing valuation gap between large-cap tech and the rest of the market may be setting the stage for renewed opportunity in small and micro-cap stocks—particularly those with strong balance sheets and exposure to hard assets like energy and critical minerals. We mention several companies and sectors during this conversation, and I’m not a shareholder in any of them. For more information about Tocqueville Asset Management, please visit: https://tocqueville.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Market Landscape Overview 01:00 Market Surprises Since Spring 2023 02:09 Impact of AI Spending and Geopolitical Risks 03:10 Market Concentration and Sector Valuations 04:07 Opportunities in Healthcare and Small Caps 05:08 Portfolio Construction Amid Macro Uncertainty 06:05 International Diversification and Valuation Dispersion 07:02 Market Narrative Cycles and Signal Filtering 07:59 Long-Term Investing Principles and Market History 09:03 Market Structure and Price Discovery Risks 10:07 Key Market Mispricings and Sector Disconnects 11:06 Government Involvement and Sector Evaluation 12:04 Opportunities in Undervalued Sectors and Small Caps 13:02 Discipline and Focus in Rapid Information Environments 13:56 Fundamental Signals for Microcap Investment 15:07 Institutional Ownership and Market Movements 16:05 Impact of Government Actions on Market Sectors 17:04 Risks in Geopolitics and Long-Term Bonds 18:00 Microcap Market Inefficiencies and Opportunities 18:59 Market Disconnects and Investor Attention 19:57 AI Spending and Geopolitical Risks Revisited 20:53 Valuation Opportunities in Low-Margin Businesses 21:54 Underappreciated Risks: Taiwan and Capital Flows 23:06 Macro Trends and CapEx Quality Concerns 24:04 Microchip Supply Chain and Geopolitical Tensions 25:02 Interest Rates, Deficits, and Fiscal Risks 26:03 Active Bond Strategies and Long-Term Risks 26:59 Underestimated Geopolitical and Market Risks 27:46 AI CapEx and Cost Structure Risks 29:05 Microcap Liquidity and Institutional Flows 30:06 Signals of Institutional Interest in Microcaps 31:03 Fundamental Analysis for Microcap Selection 31:59 Emerging Themes in Microcap Space 32:49 Building Resilient Portfolios in Volatile Markets 34:10 Sector Opportunities in Rare Earths and Energy 34:52 Market Discipline and Investor Focus 35:52 Staying True to Investment Principles 37:04 Lessons from Market Crises and Capital Preservation 38:04 Aligning Portfolio with Investor Goals 39:00 Key Principles for Navigating Market Uncertainty 40:05 Final Thoughts and Contact Information Planet Microcap hosts the highest quality in-person microcap events in North America. The mission is to bring the best microcap investors, companies, and allocators together to gather, connect, and grow.; visit https://planetmicrocap.com/ to learn more about our Las Vegas and Toronto events. The purpose of this conversation is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell any security. Planet MicroCap Holdings LLC and MicroCapClub LLC are not registered investment advisors. Planet MicroCap Holdings LLC, MicroCapClub LLC, its partners, contractors, members, subscribers, guests, and affiliates may or may not hold positions in one or more of the securities mentioned on this program and may trade in such securities at any time. Do your own due diligence and seek counsel from a registered investment advisor before trading in any security.

Artem Fokin, founder and portfolio manager at Caro-Kann Capital, runs a concentrated small- and micro-cap strategy aiming for multibaggers. He discusses bottoms-up research, how to engage management while staying objective, the value of microcaps as a training ground, assessing leadership depth, avoiding intellectual rigidity, and using tools like AI to improve research.

Jim Zimmerman, founder of Lowell Capital, is a fund manager who seeks resilient, cash-generative small caps with minimal debt. Abby Zimmerman, research analyst, sharpens their checklist-driven value approach. They discuss Fort Knox balance sheets, focusing on operating cash flow, hunting overlooked niche leaders, engaging management, and the discipline of constant re-underwriting.

Luis Sanchez, founder of LVS Advisory and portfolio manager focused on event-driven and global growth strategies. He discusses a high-conviction Power Thesis around U.S. electricity shortages from AI and data centers. Short takes cover merger arbitrage optimism for 2026, microcap energy plays like LNG and nuclear services, and finding misunderstood compounders outside crowded large-cap tech.

Ryan Telford, Head of Evidence-Based Research at MicroCapClub and microcap investing researcher, explains why headline profits can mislead. He discusses quality of earnings metrics like cash support and stability. He also dives into dilution risk, how equity raises erode returns, and scorecards that predict future share issuance.

Chris Marlett, co-founder and CEO of MDB Capital Holdings, explains MDB’s public-venture merchant-bank model and why taking venture-stage companies public can be an alternative to traditional VC. He discusses the shrinking microcap universe, the real costs and benefits of being public, MDB’s IPO sweet spot, and the firm’s equity-aligned approach to scaling category leaders.

In this episode of the Planet MicroCap podcast, I spoke with Tobias Carlisle, a seasoned investor and co-host of Value After Hours. We delve into the 2025 value investing playbook, discussing key themes such as the importance of valuation metrics, the cyclical versus structural decline in businesses, and the significance of buying with a margin of safety. Tobias emphasizes the need for investors to focus on financial statements rather than narratives, especially in a market driven by growth stocks. The conversation also touches on the current state of energy investments, the challenges of identifying value traps, and the potential for mean reversion in 2026, particularly in small and micro-cap stocks. Throughout the discussion, Tobias shares insights on navigating the complexities of the market and the importance of patience in value investing. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 02:36 2025 Value Investing Playbook 09:07 Cyclical Pain vs. Structural Decline 12:57 The Role of Narratives in Investing 13:37 Margin of Safety and Business Quality 20:04 Mean Reversion and Small Cap Opportunities 22:32 Using Balance Sheets for Downside Protection 24:27 Going Where Others Won't: Global Opportunities 27:19 Learning from Mistakes in Investing 29:33 Value Investing Themes for 2026 35:10 The Importance of Balance Sheets in 2026 40:51 Behavioral Advantages in Value Investing 42:10 Final Thoughts and Future Outlook For more information about the Acquirers Funds, Value After Hours, and Tobias' latest book, "Soldier of Fortune", please visit: https://acquirersmultiple.com/ Planet Microcap hosts the highest quality in-person microcap events in North America. The mission is to bring the best microcap investors, companies, and allocators together to gather, connect, and grow.; visit https://planetmicrocap.com/ to learn more about our Las Vegas and Toronto events. The purpose of this conversation is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell any security. Planet MicroCap Holdings LLC and MicroCapClub LLC are not registered investment advisors. Planet MicroCap Holdings LLC, MicroCapClub LLC, its partners, contractors, members, subscribers, guests, and affiliates may or may not hold positions in one or more of the securities mentioned on this program and may trade in such securities at any time. Do your own due diligence and seek counsel from a registered investment advisor before trading in any security.

My guest on the show today is Christian Schmidt, a private investor and co-founder of Tracktacle, a financial data and alerts platform that provides real-time alerts on filings and news, plus full-text search across U.S. and Canadian market documents. In this episode, Christian walks us through his unconventional path from banking and e-commerce to becoming a full-time private investor, and how a series of market experiences reshaped his approach to risk, valuation, and opportunity selection. We discuss why he believes private investors have a real edge in microcaps, how he builds positions around clearly defined catalysts, and why doing the valuation work before the news hits is critical to acting with conviction. Christian also shares how painful lessons from turnarounds and management missteps led him to re-prioritize assets and competitive advantage over management narratives — and how those experiences directly inspired the creation of Tracktackle. We dive into how the platform helps investors cut through noise in SEC and SEDAR filings, identify meaningful catalysts faster, and stay on top of microcap developments in real time. We mention a few names on the show today and I'm not a shareholder in any of them. For more information about Tracktacle, please visit: https://www.tracktacle.com/ We just announced our full slate of investor conferences for 2026, powered by MicroCapClub. Our next major event is Planet MicroCap: LAS VEGAS, happening June 16–18, 2026, at the Bellagio. Registration is now open for that. And, later in the year, we'll be heading back to Toronto, October 27-29, 2026 at the Arcadian Loft. The mission is to bring the best microcap investors and companies together to gather, connect, and grow. This includes your participation. We know you are putting your 2026 investor conference calendars together, and we'd like to humbly invite you to join us for one or both of them. Please visit www.planetmicrocapshowcase.com for more information. See you in Vegas and Toronto! Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the Planet MicroCap YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft