The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition professional investor Stephen Takacsy has a low-key approach to investing that is a snap for other investors to emulate. The Globe's David Berman writes the chief investment officer at Lester Asset Management directs a relatively modest portfolio of just $270-million in segregated accounts, plus another $35-million in the Lester Canadian Equity Fund. With a smaller portfolio, Mr. Takacsy can make nimble moves, invest in an eclectic mix of stocks and deviate from the benchmark index in a way that most larger investors can only dream of. His returns have beaten the S&P/TSX composite index for five years in a row, with significantly less risk. First, he has to like the business and its management. Then, he has to like the stock price relative to the company's growth prospects. Finally, he hopes for a catalyst that will trigger a rally in the stock. He is also keeping about 30 per cent of his portfolio in large-cap dividend-paying stocks. Dividend-payers are vulnerable to rising interest rates, but he prefers names such as BCE, Telus and TransCanada, which can offset the risk by increasing their earnings and payouts.