Small/Mid-Cap Growth Equity team

By Alex Ely, Traver Davis, Jane Fisher, Nate Mahrer, Dina Pliotis

Our investment approach identifies major demand trends in the economy, and the competitively advantaged companies that we believe are positioned to benefit from these trends. The goal is earnings growth that has the potential to be far ahead of the market and relevant indices.

Alex Ely, Chief Investment Officer — Small/Mid-Cap Growth Equity

We are a seasoned investment team, focused exclusively on domestic growth equity investing. The effectiveness of our central investment strategy has been validated through numerous market cycles and was first put into practice in 1987. By limiting investments to competitively advantaged, highly profitable companies on the receiving end of major demand trends, we have been able to keep client assets focused within what we consider to be the most vibrant areas of the US economy.

Key elements of our investment philosophy:

• We believe earnings growth drives stock prices. Companies with the strongest gains in profitability should enjoy share performance that exceeds the broad market averages, provided that the earnings are of high quality and likely to continue.
• We seek to identify major demand trends early and invest in competitively advantaged companies that we expect to benefit from these trends. The result is a portfolio of elite companies with the potential for above-average earnings growth.