The most successful investors think of themselves as business owners even if their ownership stake represents a small part of the total shares in a company. We analyze a prospective stock purchase as if we were going to buy the entire company, before buying any part of the company for our clients. We are less concerned with the recent strength or weakness of a stock price and more concerned with the longer-term value of the underlying business. This approach to investing stands in stark contrast to all the momentum investors who buy stocks experiencing strong upward price action while selling stocks that are trending down. There are many variants of momentum investing, but given the large spike in volume that accompanies most sharp stock moves, it is safe to say that momentum investing is practiced by many individuals and investment managers. We typically buy stocks when the share price has fallen, volume is subdued, and investor psychology has turned negative toward a particular company.
We view the pricing of stocks as a perpetual struggle between the fundamental math underlying stock values and the shifting of investor psychology. When the mathematical ratios are favorable for a stock and investor psychology is unfavorable, we believe a potential buying opportunity exists. Conversely, when investors grow to love a certain company’s stock, and the price runs well ahead of actual progress at the company, we think it is time to exit the position or at least reduce the size of one’s holding.
Our objective for clients is to build a portfolio of stocks that represent a share of a substantial and growing stream of revenue and profits. In some cases we may focus on the consistency of this stream, in other cases the growth of it, or the sheer size of the stream. While there are a few companies that have all the elements one is looking for, most portfolios are made up of a diverse mix of stocks that in total will hopefully achieve the goal of part ownership of a sizable, growing, consistent stream of profits.
Our clients’ accounts have grown because of the investment theory we developed and have diligently employed since 1982. The theory is based on five key factors, which we examine both algorithmically and qualitatively, over an extended period, before making any stock investment:
At Prentiss Smith & Company, we develop an individual investment plan with each client based on the income needs, risk profile, tax situation, expectations for growth, and social objectives of the client.
Capital Preservation Preservation of a client’s initial capital and subsequent profits has always been an integral part of our investment approach. The foundation for steady progress is an avoidance of losses. Patience and a disciplined use of our investment theory are the primary ingredients contributing to capital preservation and progress in our clients’ portfolios.
Fixed Income When making fixed income investments we have to consider many variables that impact inflation and interest rates. Our objective is to produce a return for clients that exceeds inflation on an after tax basis. We have employed a number of strategies, including inflation indexed treasury bonds, laddered maturities of government agency notes, and high grade municipal bonds, to achieve this goal. There are times when we hold substantial portions of accounts in cash or short-term paper awaiting a change in interest rates.
Capital Growth Our performance record is the result of thorough research and the disciplined use of our stock evaluation system. Our proprietary computer software gives us the ability to continually track hundreds of companies, identifying those that warrant further in-depth research. We are able to make investments in a timely manner because of this intensive in-house research effort.
Our clients include individuals, families, trusts, and institutions. Those seeking a strong return on investment while also prioritizing issues of environmental stewardship, diversity, equality, peace and justice are typically drawn to Prentiss Smith & Company.
As a boutique firm we can customize allocations for clients who wish to pursue more or less aggressive financial goals. We can also offer significant flexibility to pursue (or avoid) certain equity classes or individual securities based on client preference.
For a typical client we will invest in a combination of individual securities, municipal and corporate bonds, and money market funds. We typically forego investing in mutual funds to avoid duplicative fee structures for our clients.
No. Our past investment performance, or that of individual securities we hold, is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment results.
Yes. Investments in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, and money market funds that we make on behalf of clients involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Foreign investing comes with additional risks, including greater volatility, political, economic and currency risks, and differences in accounting methods.
Our registered investment advisors are always happy to answer your questions or schedule a commitment-free conversation about your investment goals. In these conversations, our “sales approach” is simply to answer your financial questions as helpfully as possible, to the best of our knowledge. To speak with one of our advisors, please contact us.
Some of our clients come to us with pre-existing holdings of stocks or bonds that would not pass our environmental or social screens. When clients are not prepared to sell these holdings, typically for tax reasons, they will appear in our disclosures as securities under our management, even though we did not buy them.
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