Paul V. Azzopardi
Paul obtained his accountancy professional degree from the University of Malta in 1983 and soon after was granted the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) warrant. He practiced as a professional accountant until he won a Commonwealth Scholarship to the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia where he completed the MBA with a concentration in finance and investments at first class standing in 1987.
On his return to Malta, Paul initially lectured part-time at the University of Malta while involved in financial consultancy. He then set up Azzopardi Stockbrokers Limited and Azzopardi Investment Management Limited.
Azzopardi Stockbrokers acted as dealer on the Malta Stock Exchange and sponsored securities issues and listings for various companies over many years including Bank of Valletta plc, Lloyds TSB Offshore Funds Limited, Lloyds TSB Money Fund Limited, Tumas Group (owners of Portomaso which includes the Malta Hilton), Simonds Farsons Cisk plc (the main brewer and major food and beverage group) and La Valette Funds SICAV.
Bank of Valletta, the leading Maltese bank, was the first company and the first bank to be listed on the Malta Stock Exchange and Paul was adviser and/or sponsor of all the Bank’s securities issues between 1989 and 2006, eighteen years of phenomenal growth for the bank.
Azzopardi Investment Management was an investment counsellor and portfolio manager of private client accounts. It invested in securities around the world on behalf of private clients often through banks and financial institutions in London, UK, and Switzerland.
These two companies, along with Azzopardi Insurance Brokers Limited which was run by Paul’s wife Jennifer, constituted the main companies within Azzopardi Financial Services group with three offices in Malta.
In 2006, Paul and Jennifer decided to take their growing family to Canada and sold the businesses.
Paul takes a business and accounting approach to investing but over the years he developed a buy/sell discipline which enables him to gradually move in and out of markets as valuations approach low and high levels rather than simply be a “buy and hold” investor. He prefers to invest in bonds, dividends stocks, and ETFs.
Paul has had two books published. The first, “Investment and Finance – A Common Sense Approach”, a primer with a fundamental approach to investment, was published in 2004 by Progress Press and his second book, entitled “Behavioural Technical Analysis“, was published in 2010 by Harriman House of the United Kingdom, a specialist financial publisher.
Paul is a strong believer that individuals should take an active interest in their investments and have combined this with his lifelong passion for writing about investments.
(* Paul’s photo by Mina of Oakville)
