Rich Pickings: 10 bargain hunting tips from the rich

Markets around the world are skittish, house price growth is subdued, asset prices are under pressure.

RBA chief Glenn Stevens might be busy telling us how great the Australian economy is, but the sense of caution that hangs over households and business has clearly meant more people are shying away from the deal.

But not everyone.

Despite the sense of caution – or, indeed, perhaps because of it – the rich are still looking for opportunities.

Most have cash to spend and many consider themselves countercyclical – their experience tells them that the best time to buy is often when no one else wants to.

From Gerry Harvey and James Packer through to Harry Triguboff and Clive Palmer, the rich are showing that you can’t keep good bargain hunters down.

Let’s examine 10 Rich Listers who have recently dipped their toe into the market.

1. Gerry Harvey

Structural change is ripping through retail and spitting out many buying opportunities for bargain hunters and Gerry Harvey has been willing to dip his toe in the water. But his strike rate has been variable. Harvey Norman’s purchase of the collapsed chain Clive Peeters was a disaster, and the company is being much more careful in buying some Retravision stores. But Harvey’s heart is still in retail and last week he emerged as the sub-underwriter of a $4.4 million rights issue by toy company Funtastic that will see him take a 3-4% stake. The company, which already counts Lachlan Murdoch as a shareholder, says Harvey was keen to get as much stock as he could.

2. Harry Stamoulis

Property developer Harry Stamoulis is worth $455 million according to BRW’s Rich 200 list and he clearly has a bit of cash to splash. Last week, he was revealed as the buyer of an industrial site sold by soap-maker Symex. The Port Melbourne site is part of an “island” in the suburb that has been earmarked for redevelopment by the Victorian Government, so Stamoulis will be hoping for a good return on his $25 million investment.

3. James Packer

After seemingly abandoning his days as an angel investor, James Packer has roared back into the game with a number of purchases, including stakes in Deals Direct and Catch of the Day. But in April, Packer also placed a decidedly countercyclical bet by snapping up a 6.1% stake in Treasury Wines, the wine group spun off from Foster’s, for about $175 million. The wine industry clearly has its struggles, but Packer is betting on a turnaround. Perhaps if the likes of Treasury can crack the Chinese market, Packer will emerge as a big winner.

4. Andrew Roberts

Perth’s Roberts family can thank property development for its $1.7 billion fortune, but five years after the family sold its company Multiplex it has dipped its toe into the water of online retailing. The family’s investment vehicle RF Capital, has launched a business called eFINITY and acquired three small online retailers: mycatwalk (which also has four bricks and mortar stores), threadpeople and babysgotstyle. The sites plan to double each year for the next three years, and eFINITY is also on the lookout for more acquisitions. It’s a crowded market, but one where big returns can be made relatively quickly.

5. Anthony Karam

Sydney entrepreneur Anthony Karam made a brief stay on the BRW’s Young Rich list, exiting in 2010 with a $42 million fortune. He’s yet to surface on the main list, but that might be a matter of time – his ticketing and labelling group, TMA, has lobbed a cheeky (and some would say cheap) bid for printing group PMP. There has been speculation Karam has an offshore backer for the bid, which was priced at 68-75c a share, a healthy premium to the 34c the company is currently trading at. But, in early July, PMP blocked TMA from performing due diligence on the basis its funding was not in place.