Donald G. Smith - Donald Smith & Co. Investment Strategy (Sep 30, 2025)

As of Sep 30, 2025, the Donald Smith & Co. portfolio managed by Donald G. Smith demonstrates a sophisticated investment approach with 79 positions and an average holding period of 837 quarters. The strategy focuses on Basic Materials, Consumer Cyclical, Energy, Financial Services, Industrials, Real Estate, Technology, Utilities sectors with a typical position size of 1.7% of the portfolio.

The portfolio's risk management approach includes a maximum position size of 1.74% and sector diversification of 8%, exemplified by the case study of AERCAP HOLDINGS (AER). This strategic framework provides insights into Donald G. Smith's investment philosophy, risk management practices, and long-term value creation approach.

Investment Strategy Metrics

Key metrics revealing investment style, risk management, and performance characteristics

Metric	Value	Category	Description
Holding Period	2.3 years	Style	Average duration positions are maintained
Position Count	79	Style	Number of active positions in portfolio
Position Size	1.7%	Risk	Typical allocation per position
Win Rate	64.2%	Performance	Percentage of profitable positions
Average Return	19.8%	Performance	Mean return across positions
Sharpe Ratio	0.21	Performance	Return per unit of risk taken

Investment Case Study: AERCAP HOLDINGS (AER)

6/30/2013 - 12/27/2025

Performance Metrics

Total Return: 131.62%

Holding Period: 4563 days

Max Position Size: $354,598,884.00

Position Weight: 8.92%

Key Events

6/30/2013: ENTRY(10,371,253.00 shares) @ $0.02

9/30/2013: DECREASE(-217,337.00 shares) @ $0.02

12/31/2013: DECREASE(-625,378.00 shares) @ $0.04

3/31/2014: DECREASE(-356,822.00 shares) @ $0.04

6/30/2014: DECREASE(-576,360.00 shares) @ $0.05

9/30/2014: DECREASE(-18,982.00 shares) @ $0.04

12/31/2014: INCREASE(2,302,639.00 shares) @ $0.04

3/31/2015: DECREASE(-388,522.00 shares) @ $0.04

6/30/2015: DECREASE(-128,270.00 shares) @ $0.05

9/30/2015: DECREASE(-786,268.00 shares) @ $0.04

12/31/2015: DECREASE(-101,943.00 shares) @ $0.04

3/31/2016: DECREASE(-521,754.00 shares) @ $0.04

6/30/2016: INCREASE(85,260.00 shares) @ $0.03

9/30/2016: INCREASE(47,571.00 shares) @ $0.04

12/31/2016: DECREASE(-99,474.00 shares) @ $0.04

3/31/2017: DECREASE(-47,869.00 shares) @ $0.05

6/30/2017: DECREASE(-113,818.00 shares) @ $0.05

9/30/2017: DECREASE(-327,164.00 shares) @ $0.05

12/31/2017: DECREASE(-65,585.00 shares) @ $0.05

3/31/2018: DECREASE(-575,267.00 shares) @ $0.05

6/30/2018: DECREASE(-451,958.00 shares) @ $0.05

9/30/2018: DECREASE(-409,113.00 shares) @ $0.06

12/31/2018: DECREASE(-136,701.00 shares) @ $0.04

3/31/2019: DECREASE(-881,130.00 shares) @ $0.05

6/30/2019: DECREASE(-296,294.00 shares) @ $0.05

9/30/2019: DECREASE(-23,700.00 shares) @ $0.05

12/31/2019: DECREASE(-508,842.00 shares) @ $0.06

3/31/2020: DECREASE(-219,644.00 shares) @ $0.02

6/30/2020: DECREASE(-232,912.00 shares) @ $0.03

9/30/2020: INCREASE(399,671.00 shares) @ $0.03

12/31/2020: DECREASE(-666,740.00 shares) @ $0.05

3/31/2021: DECREASE(-719,644.00 shares) @ $0.06

6/30/2021: INCREASE(250,096.00 shares) @ $0.05

9/30/2021: INCREASE(35,335.00 shares) @ $0.06

12/31/2021: DECREASE(-98,952.00 shares) @ $0.07

3/31/2022: INCREASE(145,400.00 shares) @ $0.05

6/30/2022: INCREASE(56,310.00 shares) @ $0.04

12/31/2023: INCREASE(211,260.00 shares) @ $74.32

3/31/2024: INCREASE(10,670.00 shares) @ $86.91

6/30/2024: DECREASE(-578,757.00 shares) @ $93.20

9/30/2024: INCREASE(23,994.00 shares) @ $94.72

12/31/2024: DECREASE(-73,888.00 shares) @ $95.70

Investment Thesis

Entry Context: Initial position established based on fundamental analysis

Sector Conditions: Favorable market conditions in the sector

Risk Factors:

Market volatility
Sector-specific risks

Key Learnings

Position sizing is critical for portfolio management
Important to monitor sector exposure