Sean T. Conner

UBS O'Connor generally uses a combination of fundamental and/or quantitative analysis when formulating its investment advice or managing client assets. The firm employs a number of investment strategies in connection with its investment management services. Investment decisions are primarily based on fundamental comparisons. Such bottom-up analysis is combined with a top-down view of opportunities across the various sectors. They believe that the combination of bottom-up and top-down analysis will allow them to identify the most attractive long and short opportunities both across and within sectors and geographies.

USBAM’s investment process strives to preserve principal, maintain liquidity, manage risk to client parameters, and produce returns commensurate with client goals. The firm primarily utilizes fundamental analysis in managing client assets. They focus on taxable and tax-exempt high-quality fixed income securities with investment objectives of safety, liquidity, diversification and yield.

Van Kampen Asset Management (VK) offers a variety of investment strategies that cover a range of investment styles, from domestic to international, fixed-income to equity and core to alternative investments. The firm's separately managed account strategies include: Core Equity, Growth Equity, International Growth Equity, Value and Value Equity. VK's Core Equity strategy employs a blended investment style. The strategy seeks to achieve consistently superior returns relative to the S&P 500 Index with a similar risk profile. VK uses a multifactor approach that employs a systematic stock selection process along with fundamental stock analysis and a comprehensive risk management approach. The firm's Growth Equity strategy seeks to achieve consistently superior returns relative to the Russell 1000 Growth Index with a similar risk profile. The strategy uses a multifactor approach that employs a systematic stock selection process along with fundamental stock analysis and a comprehensive risk management approach. The VK International Growth Equity strategy invests in a diversified portfolio of the equity securities of issuers located in countries other than the US. VK focuses on identifying the best companies from around the world that demonstrate true market leadership and significant growth characteristics. the firm employs a bottom-up stock selection process to identify market-leading companies with strong management teams, a clear business focus, competitive advantages and strong balance sheets. The firm's Value strategy is an actively managed strategy that offers clients the potential for capital growth and income. VK constructs portfolios of the stocks of well-established companies that are undervalued relative to other companies in their respective industries, historical prices or the overall market. They seek attractive companies that may be temporarily out-of-favor in the marketplace, but that have sound business fundamentals and are trading at prices are lower than the firm thinks they should be. VK's Value strategy is based on a deep-value investment discipline. They evaluate companies in different sectors and industries should according to different valuation measures, as they tend to vary in terms of earnings growth and balance sheet data. VK's process focuses on evaluating individual stocks, considering each company's business model, competitors and revenue streams in relation to other companies within a distinct industry. The firm's Value Equity strategy seeks to achieve consistently superior returns relative to the Russell 1000 Value Index with a similar risk profile. The strategy employs a multifactor approach that is based on a systematic stock selection process along with fundamental stock analysis and comprehensive risk management. Though not limited by sector, VK tends to invest in the stocks of companies in the finance, consumer services, health technology, electronic technology and energy minerals sectors. They invest globally, across all market-caps, with a focus on large-cap stocks. VK maintains a low turnover rate.

Functions as a College/University

NAM provides its services across a broad array of fixed income, equity and other investment strategies, including in the broad categories of municipal bonds, taxable fixed income, global and international, value, growth and core, public real assets, asset allocation, quantitative/enhanced, alternative and customized strategies. Depending on the strategy, the firm invests in a variety of securities and other investments, including in certain cases derivatives, and employs various methods of analysis and investment techniques.