Daniel A. Bagdasarian

National commercial bank

Manulife IM-US utilizes a broad range of equity, fixed income, currency and asset allocation approaches. They manage differentiated investment processes and place an emphasis on proprietary fundamental research but may also employ quantitative analysis. The firm’s equity investment research combines quantitative and qualitative bottom-up fundamental analysis. Their fixed income management teams engage in intensive fundamental research and analysis, both top-down and bottom-up, to assess potential investment opportunities.

By focusing on value, looking beyond daily volatility caused by market gyrations, and using a consistent, repeatable process, JAM strives to provide each of their clients with superior value over the long term. To bring the overall universe of potential holdings to a manageable size, the first step of JAM's large- and small-cap value equity process uses quantitative screens to identify inexpensively priced companies that exhibit high levels of quality. They screen a universe of companies and assign each to an industry sector. Each stock is then valued based on a sector specific valuation model focused on p/e, price-to-book and price-to-cash flow as well as other valuation factors. The initial sort identifies the companies that appear to have the most attractive value. These companies are then filtered for quality, looking for factors such as low outstanding debt to capitalization, positive free cash flow and stable earnings estimate revisions. As a last step, they screen for positive trends such as improved cash flow, margins and leverage to rule out companies that do not appear to be healthy. JAM's fixed-income composite strategy hinges upon their overall outlook for interest rates based on various macro economic components that include inflation, rate of growth of GDP, political and international trends, fiscal/monetary policy and the factors that determine the level and changes in these items. This process results in an opinion on the relative risk/return within the fixed-income market. Once the firm establishes what they believe to be the most likely economic scenario, they attempt to determine the effect this course will have on both market sectors and quality gradations (i.e. AA-rated issues vs. A-rated issues). This analytical process leads them to an opinion on the best relative values in the fixed-income markets.

Functions as a College/University

Optique Capital Management employs a value equity philosophy and decision-making process. They seek competitive, long-term investment returns through stock selection, not sector rotation. The firm buys only attractively priced, quality companies and sells when securities are fully valued. They achieve consistent investment returns through sector and stock diversification and risk reduction through measurement of quality of accounting, management and balance sheet. Optique is an active manager, seeking to add value through a quantitative and fundamental approach that is disciplined, patient, objective and consistent. They seek to exploit the markets tendency to severely punish a well-run company's stock price due to a short-term or temporary setback. The firm manages the Optique Large Cap Value Fund which invests primarily in large, well-established companies with market-cap greater than $4 billion. They invest in stocks that are inexpensive relative to their industry sector, are exhibiting flat or increasing earnings estimate revisions and have evident positive catalysts for change. The Optique Small Cap Value Fund invests primarily in small companies with market-cap less than $2 billion. Optique believes there is an opportunity to uncover rapid-growth companies before their potential is recognized in the marketplace. The Optique International Value Fund invests primarily in companies with good relative value located outside the US. The firm's International Value Equity fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities of non-US issuers. The product generally holds securities in Canada and countries across Europe, Asia and Latin America. The Optique Intermediate Fixed Income Fund Invests primarily in investment-grade bonds of companies and government agencies.