How we make recommendations

Our process: Discipline, rigor, experience

Our team of analysts use a disciplined approach to make sure we’re giving you the best possible choices. We only move forward with recommendations that align with our long-term view and our focus on quality, and work well in a diversified portfolio.

This gives you and your financial advisor a starting point for choosing investments personalized to your goals, situation and the amount of risk you're willing to take.

How we choose stocks 

Before your financial advisor recommends a stock to you, it must pass a disciplined analysis by our Securities Research team. We filter stocks based on geography, longevity, financial risk and a company’s size before applying fundamental and valuation analysis.

We look at factors including company balance sheet strength and the management team’s track record to assess the quality of a stock. We spend time thinking about past, present and future opportunities and challenges for each sector to identify the companies we believe have sustainable competitive advantages for the long term. Then we apply strict valuation analysis and consider any specific risks to determine a fair price for the stock.

How we choose bonds

We recommend you own fixed-income investments to provide diversification, income and stability. We believe owning high-quality bonds is important in meeting these objectives. So we give advice on a bond's "credit quality," which refers to the bond issuer's ability to pay principal and interest until the bond matures.

In fact, we view credit risk as the most important factor in evaluating individual bonds. We also consider other risks, including interest rate risk and reinvestment risk — all while conducting high-quality, in-depth analysis on bonds. This timely, insightful information is at your financial advisor's fingertips so they have what they need to help you make a decision.

How we choose mutual funds

With thousands of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to choose from, it can be overwhelming to pick which ones to buy. That's where our Investment Manager Research team comes in. They bring significant investment experience and a robust framework to analyzing mutual funds and helping provide quality recommendations. Your financial advisor can use this team’s expertise to provide mutual fund choices that make the most sense for you.

We're here for you

With the support of our experienced research team, your financial advisor can provide you with recommendations, whatever types of investments you choose.