Steve Harts

Harold C. Brown & Co. (HCB) typically allocates their clients' funds to different asset classes to create portfolios that provide diversification and balance, with an emphasis on total return. The firm employs a variety of measures that seek to preserve capital. Once they determine a client's basic investment strategy, they select specific investment vehicles that are expected to perform well in forecasted economic, financial and market environments. HCB invests for the long-term and avoid attempts at market timing. The firm rarely engages in short-term trading. They also avoid the use of highly volatile financial instruments such as derivatives, futures contracts, options, commodities or limited partnerships. The firm's in-house investment research focuses on the economy, financial markets, industries and individual companies. They look for new investment opportunities and monitor the strength of their current investment holdings. HCB's equity selection process is based on a bottom-up fundamental investment approach. The firm seeks to identify companies with high levels of profitability and financial strength across broadly diversified sectors. They employ a blend of growth and value investment styles. Though not limited by sector or market-cap, HCB tends to invest in the stocks of US large-cap companies in the consumer non-durables, health technology, energy minerals, producer manufacturing and finance sectors. The firm maintains a very low turnover rate. The firm's fixed-income investment approach seeks to identify vehicles with the highest of credit ratings that offer maximum current yields. To minimize interest rate and inflation risk, HCB typically buys short- to intermediate duration debt instruments issued by highly rated corporations and municipalities, the US Government and its agencies and money market funds.

Provides investment banking and brokerage services

Functions as a College/University

Provides investment banking services

Winthrop’s investment strategy emphasizes a fundamental, bottom-up investment approach in which securities are screened for specific criteria using evaluation techniques centering around companies that have the following criteria: (1) a uniqueness or niche which gives the company a strong market position and the ability to adjust prices (2) recurring revenue such as firms dealing with non-durable consumer goods (3) historical growth rates faster than the economy that show a record of consistent earnings, sales, and dividend growth (4) low debt levels that allow management the flexibility to expand their business (5) significant share ownership by management (6) relative price to earnings and/or (7) cash flow.