Quest PMS
PMSIME's View on Quest PMS
AMC View
Quest AMC, founded by Ajay and Bharat Sheth, has added Aniruddha Sarkar to their team from IIFL. The AMC has all the ingredients - equity pedigree, experienced team, scale, well-articulated flexible philosophy and good performance track record. Investors, specifically looking for a sector rotation investment approach, could consider the AMC.
AMC Pedigree
Quest was established in 1987 as an equity research house specialising in midcap and smallcap companies. They launched their Portfolio Management Services (PMS) in 2007 and have over 15+ years of experience managing investor money in Indian equities. They have remained focused on equities without diversifying into other business lines.
Team Pedigree
The Quest investment team is led by co-founder Bharat Sheth, with over 25 years of investment experience at Quest. The stability of the investment philosophy is supported by having a co-founder as the CIO. Aniruddha Sarkar, the Fund Manager, has a strong track record at IIFL and works closely with Sheth in the investment decision process. The key risk is the departure of Aniruddha, who has been a good addition to the team, given his lack of ownership in the firm.
Investment Philosophy
Quest Investment Advisors follows a multi-pronged investment approach, summarised by the acronym "QUEST" - Quality, Earnings, Sector Rotation and Timing. They employ a blend of value and growth investing styles, seeking mispriced opportunities in both segments of the market.
AMC Background
Quest was set up in the 1980s by Ajay Sheth as an institutional equity research firm with a strong focus on small and mid-cap stocks. Building on its deep research heritage, the firm launched its PMS business in 2007 and has since scaled into one of the larger PMS houses in India, typically ranking in the top 10–20 by scale.
Quest brings over three decades of experience in listed Indian equities, with a long-standing focus on small and mid-caps. The investment team is anchored by co-founder and CIO Bharat Sheth, who brings over 25 years of hands-on investment management experience. The presence of a founder-CIO provides stability and continuity to the firm’s investment philosophy and processes.
Investment Philosophy
Quest follows a principle-driven investment philosophy focused on owning high-quality businesses with strong management, scalable growth opportunities, sound financials, and reasonable valuations, with an explicit emphasis on downside protection.
Core Investment Principles
- Management: Unquestionable integrity, governance, and execution capability
- Business Quality: Leadership position, pricing power, and non–“me too” models
- Profitability: Strong and improving ROE with stable or expanding margins
- Scalability: Exponential growth potential driven by large addressable markets
- Financial Strength: Strong cash flows, resilient balance sheets, and below-industry leverage
- Valuation: Adequate margin of safety embedded in entry price
Portfolio Construction
Portfolio construction is market-cap and sector agnostic, combining top-down sectoral insights with bottom-up stock selection. The team remains agile across cycles, actively rotating across sectors and managing cash levels to take advantage of market volatility, with the objective of delivering superior risk-adjusted returns.
Barbell Portfolio Structure
- Growth Stocks (35–45%): Cycle-resistant businesses (e.g. financials, NBFCs, consumer discretionary) with high EPS growth and high ROCE
- Re-rating Stocks (35–45%): Companies in expansion or disruption phases (technology, chemicals, pharma, select consumer discretionary) with improving ROEs and mid-teen EPS growth
- Value Stocks (15–25%): Downcycle sectors (capital goods, autos, cement, telecom) available at deep value with low-teen ROE/ROCE and earnings recovery potential
Portfolio Philosophy: The barbell approach allows Quess to participate in long-term value creation through growth companies while simultaneously capturing value discovery opportunities during cyclical downturns.
Suitable For
Investors seeking an established, research-driven investment manager with the flexibility to navigate multiple market cycles through a balanced growth-and-value portfolio construction approach.
Investment team
Bharat Sheth | 5-star rated FM
Head Equities | 46 yrs Experience | 32 yrs at current firm
Bharat Sheth is a highly seasoned & respected investment professional, having spearheaded the growth of Quest's advisory & PMS business over the past 25 years. Being part of the core founding team, he has provided the much-needed stability and thought leadership that has helped Quest grow into one of the larger PMS providers in India.
Aniruddha Sarkar | 4-star rated FM
CIO | 17 yrs Experience | 6 yrs at current firm
Past Experience: IIFL AMC (FM)
Aniruddha joined Quest in Feb-2020, after a successful stint of over 10 years at IIFL across various roles including Fund Manager for the MF & PMS and as a research analyst.
Recommended Funds
Quest Smart Alpha Sector Rotation
Quest Multi
Quest Flagship
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