Jerome Ballan

Provides brokerage services

Provides Brokerage Services.

Shields believes that a mid-cap value equity strategy can enhance investment performance in up markets and help protect capital in down markets by focusing on stocks that are significantly undervalued by the market, have the liquidity and financial stability associated with large-cap companies and possess the attractive growth characteristics of small-cap companies. The firm believes that investment risk can be managed by over- and underweighting economic sectors in accordance with economic conditions. The firm's investment process combines economic and industry insights with rigorous fundamental, quantitative and technical analysis of individual companies and their stocks. They identify economic sectors most likely to benefit from market conditions. Shields economic analysis looks at interest rate forecast, inflationary outlook and probable market direction. They next analyze the impact of interest rates on industries. Shields industry analysis also includes reviewing and analyzing industry reports and trade publications to identify major trends. Next, the firm narrows their universe of mid-cap stocks value stocks employing a multi factor model that seeks low price-to-cash flow, low p/e, moderate debt-to-total capitalization, high ROE and low price-to-asset value. Shields then reduces the value subset to a buy list via fundamental analysis that looks at balance sheets, income and cash flow. Their active due diligence process includes meeting with management, contacting competition and performing a quantitative/technical review. These analysis criteria include relative performance, insider trades, earnings momentum and technical position. For their sell process, every stock is assigned a two-year price objective. Via fundamental analysis, Shields determines whether a stock is overvalued and will sell if fundamentals have not changed. They liquidate their position in a company if its management loses focus, diversifies into unrelated business or sells off its best assets. All research is conducted in-house.