Not a Publisher, but an Investor
I am Sam Hollanders. First and foremost, I am a dedicated family man; my second full-time role is that of an investor. Writing Valuing Dutchman isn’t an end in itself, but rather a tool driven by the urge for rationality and discipline.
My investment journey began in 1999, and I’ve been active in the stock market full-time since 2010. Writing a newsletter since 2011 has served as my personal anchor: it forces me to organize my thoughts and document every investment thesis with crystal clarity. Without this discipline, you run the risk of falling into numerous psychological traps on the market. Take the endowment effect, for instance, where you view something you already own as more valuable than it truly is.
What I learn and apply to my own capital and that of our fund, I share here with you.
The Foundation: Independent, Integrated, and Disciplined
In a market full of noise and conflicts of interest, this is my unwavering promise: Independent. Honest. Disciplined.
Valuing Dutchman is your guarantee of total integrity. I gain no financial advantage whether you place a trade or not. I select the stocks that I buy for myself, my family, and our fund.
This creates a unique situation: our interests are perfectly aligned. You make your own choices and certainly don’t have to follow my analyses blindly, but you know the judgment comes from an investor who is putting his own money on the line.
The Power of Knowledge and Network
My role as a fund manager, exclusively for well-informed investors, isn’t a distraction—it’s a quality guarantee for you. This position grants me access to:
Professional tools and data sources with minimal margins of error.
A network that keeps my analyses sharp and broadens my perspective.
What I learn and apply in the fund, I translate into focused, easy-to-understand analyses for Valuing Dutchman.
The Philosophy: Thinking Like a Business Owner
“Intelligent investing is always value investing: price is what you pay, value is what you get.” This is the compass of Valuing Dutchman.
We don’t buy stocks; we buy pieces of businesses. This principle is the best antidote to the daily noise of the stock market:
The Big Risk: Investors who don’t think like owners let daily fluctuating stock prices be their yardstick. On an annual basis, we see fluctuations of 50% between the high and low prices of most companies. Yet, investors use these prices as a guide instead of stable underlying business results. If you don’t know the company and its results, and the price drops by 30% or more, it often leads to panic selling.
Peace through Discipline: We focus on the long term. The holding period for quality companies is hopefully “forever”; for undervalued companies, it’s about three years, or until the discount has been closed.
Margin of Safety: The Three Most Important Words for Investors according to Warren Buffett
The Margin of Safety isn’t just a math exercise; it’s a source of composure. It ensures that you:
Avoid or minimize losses when an investment thesis turns out to be wrong.
Retain firepower during expensive times to buy with discipline when the market turns and others are panicking.
What Valuing Dutchman Delivers to You
My goal is simple: to save you time and bring you emotional peace of mind.
You get insight, not noise: I filter out the 99% of daily market news and focus on the real signals from our companies.
You achieve calm and composure: Through this disciplined, rational approach, you’ll find a beacon of calm during periods of euphoria and a pillar of support when markets are down.
My investment philosophy is also captured in my bestseller, “Double Your Money in Five Years.” This book is the manual containing the principles I apply every single day.
What Others Are Saying About Valuing Dutchman
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What makes Valuing Dutchman different from other financial newsletters?
Valuing Dutchman isn’t run like a typical publishing house; think of it more as the personal investment diary and analysis log of a full-time investor. I personally invest in every single stock I recommend. When you join, you’re buying into a shared interest and a rational, time-tested discipline that weathered both the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID crash. You get independent, deep-dive value investing instead of the “hype of the day.” The easiest thing for a financial writer to do is tip whatever is popular at the moment. But that’s rarely the path to long-term returns. Often, what’s good for a magazine’s circulation isn’t what’s best for your portfolio. My rule is simple: investor first.
How much time will I save by reading Valuing Dutchman?
Conducting thorough value investing research is my full-time job. My primary goal is to save you those hours. All you need to do is read my analyses and weigh them against your own common sense and vision. You’re essentially receiving the high-level output of the exhaustive daily research I perform using professional tools and my personal network.
How often should I buy or sell as a subscriber?
Our goal is composure and long-term value. You don’t need to trade every time a new issue drops. Our philosophy is to buy stocks with the intent to hold them “forever” (in the case of quality companies) or for at least three years (for Deep Value plays). We focus on low turnover. The newsletter is designed to help you:
Make the right choices when buying.
Maintain the discipline to hold.
Stay away from overpriced, overhyped stocks.
What is the value, and what can I expect?
Valuing Dutchman is published 24 times a year and features several regular sections:
Market Outlook: A look at the events of the past few weeks.
Stock in the Spotlight.
The Rationality Test.
“Double Your Money” Portfolio update.
My Reading/Listening List: Interesting articles, podcasts, or videos I’ve consumed recently.
Company News: Updates on the businesses we follow. The subscription price (€249/year for 24 issues) is a modest investment compared to potential returns and avoided losses. If one analysis helps you avoid just a single bad trade on a €5,000 investment, the subscription has already paid for itself. You’re buying discipline and insight at a fraction of the time and risk it would cost to go it alone.
Can I use Valuing Dutchman as a replacement for financial advice?
No. Valuing Dutchman provides independent analysis and investment ideas based on my own profile and philosophy. I do not provide personalized financial advice. The stocks I select fit my specific investment profile and may not align with your personal situation or risk tolerance. Always consult a financial advisor for personalized guidance.
Which companies does Sam Hollanders select? My focus is primarily on European (including the Nordics) small and mid-caps, as well as holding companies. You won’t find the “hot stocks” or the latest trends here. I look for good-to-great companies that the market has overlooked, allowing us to buy at a significant discount to their intrinsic value.
What is the difference between Valuing Dutchman and Chess Capital?
Valuing Dutchman is my independent stock newsletter. Chess Capital is the commercial name for the Luxembourg-based CC Multi Strategies Chess Capital Fund, which I co-founded. This non-public fund is only accessible to “well-informed investors” as defined by the CSSF. If you meet those criteria, you can find more information at www.chesscapital.lu.
Can I try a sample issue of Valuing Dutchman?
Yes, substack allows every free subscriber to read one post for free.
When and how do I receive the newsletter?
The newsletter is published 24 times a year, which—excluding holidays—works out to once every two weeks. You can read it directly here on the website, and you’ll also receive the full version via email as soon as it’s published.
Can I get an invoice?
Absolutely. Just reply to the confirmation email you receive immediately after payment and include your billing details. We’ll get that invoice to you as soon as possible (via Peppol for Belgian residents, otherwise via email).
How do I cancel my subscription? Canceling is straightforward and can be done in two ways:
Via your Account Page: You can stop your subscription yourself through the settings in your personal dashboard.
Via Email: Simply send a message to sam@valuingdutchman.com.
Disclosure
Nothing shared on Valuing Dutchman constitutes investment advice. All content reflects my individual perspectives and research tailored to my personal circumstances. It's important that you take into account your own specific situation, conduct your own research, and/or seek advice from a financial advisor prior to making any decisions based on ideas presented on Valuing Dutchman.
All content, including ideas, reports, articles, and other features within this subscription product, is presented solely for informational and educational purposes. None of the content herein should be construed as investment advice. All decisions made following the consumption of our articles and reports are entirely the responsibility of the reader.
Our service is designed to serve as a repository of potential ideas to integrate into your own decision-making process. The limited purpose of the provided information is to potentially indicate that this newsletter is a valuable resource for those interested in small-cap stock ideas. Articles should not be interpreted as buy or sell recommendations.
The positive feedback provided by subscribers, has not been verified for accuracy. Any positive returns achieved by these subscribers are solely attributed to their own decisions and processes. This newsletter shares ideas but refrains from providing any form of investment advice.
Our analysis relies on SEC filings (or equivalent in other countries), current events, interviews, corporate press releases, and other publicly available sources of information. Despite our efforts, errors may exist, and it is strongly advised not to base any investment decisions solely on the content presented here. There is no guarantee, or suggestion of a guarantee, that our ideas will perform as they have in the past.
It is important to disclose that I/my clients or affiliates may hold positions in securities mentioned, and such positions will be disclosed at the time of publication. However, the retention of such positions is not guaranteed.
Neither the author nor any affiliates accept any liability for direct or consequential loss arising, directly or indirectly, from the use of information contained herein. Nothing presented herein constitutes an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
