ASSET MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY
We believe that in-depth, fundamental valuation-based analysis can produce superior investment results.
We invest in publicly traded companies, not sectors or macroeconomic trends.
We invest in managers with experience and proven skills that are evident in their strong track records. People make money, things don’t.
We thoroughly evaluate how management built a business that produces persistent profitable growth, making it a possible investment candidate.
We regularly meet with managers to learn how they will continue to be reliable stewards of our money and our clients’ money.
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Capital Counsel typically invests in 12 to 18 large-cap and mid-cap companies based in the U.S. or with large U.S. operations. We choose these stocks from ideas generated through the investment team’s bottom-up research efforts.
Our investment approach is guided by these principles:
Stock selection is the core of our investment approach. We learn how the companies operate and why they achieve consistently superior returns.
We are informed, long-term investors in companies with managements that have achieved persistent earnings growth. Their continuing ability to deliver this growth allows us to take advantage of compounding annual returns.
We value a company in the same way we would if we were planning to take the entire company private.
We are less concerned about short-term price fluctuations than we are about finding the right investments that earn high returns and increase in value over time.
We invest in companies that have sound capital structures, achieve consistently high levels of profitability, and finance their growth from free cash flow, not debt. We avoid investing in industries with regulated prices.
We invest in our companies for an average of five years and have held many for more than a decade. This low turnover reduces taxes and trading expenses.
MANAGEMENT
MATTERS MOST
People make money, things don’t.
Confidence in a company’s management is a prerequisite for us to invest in its stock. We meet with and evaluate different levels of management to determine how and why past successes were achieved. Proven, straightforward managers focus on execution of an achievable business plan.
Career Moves
We track the career moves of successful managers of our portfolio companies.
Their decision to lead a business suggests that it is worth further investigation.
Departures
We watch the effects of senior managers' departures on the company's performance.
High management turnover suggests deeper fundamental issues.
New Managers
New senior managers present an opportunity to invest in well-run companies that we do not own, if we believe they can maintain or improve existing performance.
We sell our positions in companies where new managers undermine a company's successful operations.
WEALTH ADVISORY
We patiently listen to the goals and concerns you express when discussing your investment objectives.
We provide specialized resources, expertise, and extraordinary dedication when it comes to solving problems and helping you address and resolve the complexities of managing wealth.
Retirement Planning
We provide guidance and strategies that help you realize your investment goals.
Cash Management
We assist you with budgeting, personal bill paying and forecasting.
Tax and Estate Planning
We work with your tax and estate advisors - or advisors we may recommend - to help you implement a tax-efficient plan to preserve your wealth and facilitate inter-generational giving.
Private Banking
We have well-established relationships with institutional lenders who can provide you with short-term and long-term financing.
Charitable Giving
We offer perspectives and assistance on philanthropy, including management and administration of Donor Advised Funds.