Scharf Investments

Scharf Investments

Scharf Investments opened in 1983, founded by a team that believed downside protection is the core engine of compound returns. From offices in Los Gatos and Soquel, California, the firm operates as an independent registered investment advisor, serving institutions, trusts, family offices and individuals through separately managed accounts and pooled vehicles. The strategy is deliberately concentrated and benchmark-agnostic. Scharf buys companies when they trade at discounts on price-to-earnings, price-to-cash-flow and price-to-book measures, and only when earnings histories show resilience through downturns. The mandate spans large- and small-cap stocks, domestic and international markets, with no obligation to hug a style box. The firm structures access through mutual funds, SMAs and its proprietary ETFs — KAT and GKAT — which distill the same quality-value discipline into a traded wrapper. Geographic exposure regularly crosses North America, Europe and Asia. Scharf reports $4.2 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025, with a portfolio management team averaging 27 years of investment experience across full market cycles. The firm maintains a 28-year audited GIPS track record, unusually long for an independent manager of its size. Its ETF launch expanded the franchise into an adjacent vehicle, making the concentrated value methodology available to a broader audience. Scharf's architecture as an owner-operated, centralized investment team sets it apart from multi-strategy platforms. There is no sub-advisor delegation; every equity holding reflects the same proprietary screen and the same portfolio-manager judgment. The dual-office footprint in Northern California keeps the entire research and trading operation within a single decision-making loop, a structure more common among boutique hedge funds than traditional wealth managers.