Fund Manager Shares Strategy Behind 2,000% Return on Single Stock

Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst

Source: CNBC

Updated: Sep 17 2025

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Source: CNBC

Rheinmetall's Success: Boston Partners' Global Premium Equities fund, managed by Christopher Hart, significantly profited from its early investment in Rheinmetall, a German arms manufacturer, which saw its stock price surge 209% in 2025 due to increased European defense spending.
Value Investing Strategy: Hart's investment approach focuses on a "three-circle rule" that prioritizes attractive valuation, strong fundamentals, and positive momentum, leading to disciplined selling of stocks that no longer meet these criteria, as demonstrated by their successful exit from Rheinmetall.
Performance Comparison: The fund outperformed the MSCI World Index, returning 22% from January to July 2025, contrasting with the index's 15.2% return, despite the broader market's skepticism towards value investing.
Contrarian Perspective: Hart maintains that value investing is not dead, countering claims from other investors, and emphasizes that his strategy remains effective even during periods when growth stocks dominate market performance.

About the author

Emily J. Thompson

Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.