Top value investor Chuck Akre  has built on his excellent long-term track record this year, and now he’s high on discount retailers and at least one cell phone tower company.

In an interview with Financial Planning magazine, Akre talks about how the 2008-09 financial crisis caused him to incorporate macroeconomic factors more into his investment decisions. “I’m trying to make sure we’re constantly integrating our worldview with our portfolio,” he says, and right now  his macroeconomic view involves little to no  growth for the US, along with continued high unemployment, constrained consumers, and  increasing inflation.

Because of that, Akre is keen on several consumer stocks that target budget conscious shoppers. Among them: CarMax and TJX Companies.  He’s also high on some companies that build cell phone towers.

The article also talks about Akre’s broader stock-picking strategy, which targets stocks with high returns on equity, a sustainable competitive advantage, and the ability to produce lots of free cash flow.

While he built up a strong cash position during the financial crisis, Akre now is putting most of his money to work, with just 11% of his portfolio in cash.