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Top Performing Fund Managers
2022 was a brutal year economically, with several stocks falling to the bottom. Yet there were a few experts who saw value where others didn't, made the right choices and reaped the rewards, with lots of earnings and benefits.
Key Takeaways
- Investments are key elements in building wealth
- Developing effective investment strategies requires experience and expertise
- Fund managers bring their expertise to serve their clients
- Some well known fund managers include William Huston, Ekenna Anya-Gafu, Benjamin Graham, T. Rowe Price, Sir John Templeton and more.
Disclaimer
The contents of this article are for educational purposes only. They are not intended to serve as a source of professional financial advice. Find experts on real estate, financial planning and wealth management here. More on disclaimer here.
Change in Financial Markets
While certain principles remain practical from season to season and a business model may be effective over long periods, wealth building and wealth management is very different today from what was obtainable in past centuries or even the past decade.
The complexities of the 21st century with its all technological solutions, from social media to AI has changed the nature of a business model and makes wealth building a highly sophisticated venture.
Popular maxims on platforms like Quora and Reddit such as poor people work for money but rich people make money work for them and smart work over hard work, may be fodder for social media views and as true as the words of a genie from a bottle.
But they point to an element of truth: wealth is not a direct function of hard work. Wealth often needs something more. You either create a business and markets around it or invest in a business with markets already.
Tapping into the benefit of investment requires looking for the best stock and the right portfolio manager. This is the key to making huge gains and earnings, and finally achieving your financial goals in 2023.
Fund Managers and Growth Stocks
We’ve all heard stories of some self-made millionaires who were stuck with a fixed income. But they simply bought stocks or put money in some portfolio with good interest rates years ago and, the portfolio maturing over a decade or two, has yielded large amounts of returns for them to retire from 9-to-5 jobs.
However, there are professionals in the investment industry who have managed funds and mastered the art of generating growth. Millennials and Gen-Zs who are seeking to close the wealth gap that exists between them and baby boomers are beginning to realize that seeking out the right investment portfolios and fund managers is top priority.
It should be your top priority too if you are trying to climb up the wealth ladder or have had a good start already. Employing the services of an expert fund manager may be the difference between enjoying a desired lifestyle or settling for a fixed income.
If you don’t have one on your curiosity radar yet or you have one already but don’t feel confident in them, financial advisors such as Bay Street’s William Huston and Ekenna Anya are your go-to experts. They'll walk you through the process.
There are fund managers who are worth their salt and a few top guns ahead of the game. Let’s learn more about a fund manager and how they work before we check out the best of them out here.
Who is a Fund Manager?
Fund managers are professionals who take responsibility for managing a range of investment portfolios on behalf of individual and corporate clients. They bring their knowledge and expertise into decisions on buying and selling securities, when and how, as part of the investment purpose of the fund.
Investment firms from mutual funds and hedge funds to asset managements and financial holding companies are the primary settings where fund managers do their best work. Some work independently, managing their own portfolios or those of individual clients.
Typically, fund managers are highly educated and trained, and they combine a rich combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experiences in areas such as finance, economics, and investment strategy. Certification and licenses such as the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) are also signs of good pedigree.
High performing fund managers embody the ability for quick and insightful decision making since they are often responsible for the performance of funds and achieving the goal of their clients. This decision-making ability is regularly paired with excellent communication skills. In addition to carrying clients and stakeholders along, this helps them to build trust which facilitates their quick decision making and meeting up with regulatory requirements.
How Fund Managers Operate
The roles and responsibilities of fund managers vary according to the type of fund they manage and the investment strategies they employ.
Core Responsibilities
A few of the core tasks that fund managers basically perform include:
- Conducting research and analysis to pick out potentially lucrative investments or growth stocks and to make informed decisions on securities to buy and sell
- Carrying out purchasing and offering activities for the fund's portfolio based on detailed research and analysis
- Evaluating the performance of the fund and making important adjustments to improve the portfolio
- Carrying investors and stakeholders along regarding employed strategies and fund's performance
- Aligning fund’s operation with regulations and reporting requirements
Risk Management and Portfolio Diversification
The responsibilities of a fund manager may also include devising various strategies to manage or reduce risks, and diversify the portfolio, such as:
- Hedging strategies
- Asset allocation
- Diversification
The role of a fund and portfolio manager is challenging, as they must keep up with market trends and news, to adapt their strategies accordingly.
Best Performing Fund Managers
No fund manager has a monopoly on performance. Very few regularly outperformed markets, and even the top performing funds can have some of their funds consistently ranked among the worst performers in their sectors.
Funds performance fluctuates over time and investing should be focused on funds that suit currently prevailing socio-economic and geopolitical conditions. This is why employing the services of a financial advisor such as Bay Street's William Huston and Ila Corcoran is quintessential to a successful investment adventure.
Using various fund management firms in different sectors at various periods of time is still the trusted approach to handling a portfolio. Financial advisors such as William and Ila will simplify this process for an aspiring investor.
As a result of the nature of investment, two different ranking tables are provided. The first highlights past and present best performing fund managers, and the other presents well performing funds in recent years.
Take note that this list should not guide your investment choices. You can reach out to Bay Street's Will, Ekenna and Ila.
Best Performing Fund Managers
Check out these trail blazers:
William Huston, AIF®, AIFA®
William founded and runs Bay Street Capital Holdings, an independent investment advisory. He steers the activities of the firm drawing from his extensive 13+ years experience gained from working with the largest retirement plan ($650B) in the US, Thrift Savings Plan. Recognized by Investopedia on its Top 100 Financial Advisors for 2022, he is CIO of the only Black-owned firm among 19 other firms that received this recognition.
Ekenna Anya Gafu, CFP®, AAMS®
Ekenna, operating from Scottsdale Arizona, is recognized among the Best Financial Advisors for his characteristic superpowers: high responsiveness, welcoming friendliness, unwavering helpfulness, and attention to detail. His work helps to advance Bay Street's mission of advocating for diverse and emerging fund managers and entrepreneurs.
Benjamin Graham
Bearing a slightly not-a-household name unlike his protege Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham is recognised by many in the industry as the father of security analysis. Throughout his career, he managed an equivalent of the closed-end mutual fund.
His best investment was in GEICO (NYSE:BK.A), which rose from a value of $27 per share to the equivalent of $54,000 per share.
Besides his investments, Graham gifted the investment industry and the wider world with a few books including Security Analysis, co-authored with David Dodd (1934), The Interpretation of Financial Statements (1937), and The Intelligent Investor (1949).
Sir John Templeton
Recognised by Forbes magazine with the moniker "dean of global investing", Sir Templeton was a pioneer of global investing and he was exceptional in picking out the best bets in crisis moments.
His investment wits and penchant for money is properly paired with a philanthropic impulse, for which he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
He functioned more as a global contrarian and value investor, seeking out potential business, markets or national turnaround and success stories to jump on.
Some of his best investments include investing in many European companies as the second world war began, as well as in Ford Motors when it was on the edge of bankruptcy.
T. Rowe Price, Jr.
Over a decade after venturing into Wall Street, Price established an investment firm which he later sold to his employees in 1971. His fund was started some time later after he founded the firm.
Price preferred the value and long-term growth investment style. He sought out companies with good management and long-term growth potentials.
His best investments ranged from Merck (NYSE:MRK) in 1940 and Coca-Cola (Nasdaq:COKE) to Avon Products (NYSE:AVP) and IBM (NYSE:IBM).
Best Performing Funds in Recent Years
We have arranged this list in their order of success, particularly in Black demographics.
Bay Street Capital Holdings: Independent Investment Advisory in the US
Bay Street Capital Holdings is a Black-owned, independent investment advisory with $36 million in discretionary assets under management, headquartered in Palo Alto, CA.
They manage portfolios with the goal of sustaining and maturing total assets and income. Unlike many advisors and fund managers who over-emphasize maximum returns, Bay Street's experts place a greater priority on managing volatility and reducing risk.
The firm was among the 2021 finalists in the category of Asset Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), out of over 900 firms across the US.
BlackRock: Asset Manager in the US
BlackRock Inc. (BlackRock) is an Asset Manager located in New York, NY United States, North America. Current Assets for BlackRock is $115.430B and managed assets slightly missing the $8T mark.
Vanguard: Asset Manager in the US
Established in 1975, the Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard) is an Asset Management Firm located in Malvern, PA, United States.
Charles Schwab: Financial Holding Company in the US
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. (Charles Schwab) is a Financial Holding Company located in San Francisco, CA United States, North America. Current Assets for Charles Schwab is roughly $577.6B.
Extensive Excellent Services
Folks who have millions of dollars to spare or spend can do worse than allow a fund manager to handle their funds for them. These fund managers will not only help them maintain their wealth but also grow their wealth.
Employing the services of experienced financial advisors and fund managers such as William Huston, Ekenna Anya, and Ila Corcoran will ensure that funds are being placed in the right investments that will mature into greater wealth.
Bay Street Capital Holdings
Bay Street Capital Holdings is a Black-owned, independent investment advisory, wealth management, and financial planning firm headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. They manage portfolios with the goal of maintaining and increasing total assets and income with a high priority on managing total risk and volatility. Although many advisors may focus on maximizing returns, they place a higher priority on managing total risk and volatility.
Our founder, William Huston founded Bay Street after 13 years of supporting the United States' largest retirement plan ($650B) Thrift Savings Plan. He is recognized as Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors for 2022. In California, Bay Street Capital Holdings is the only Black-owned firm out of the twenty firms that received this recognition.
In Scottsdale Arizona, Ekenna Anya-Gafu CFP, AAMS is recognized among the Best Financial Advisors for his responsiveness, friendliness, helpfulness, and detail. Bay Street was founded to advocate for diverse and emerging fund managers and entrepreneurs.
In 2021, Bay Street was selected as a finalist out of over 900 firms across the US in the category of Asset Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Sources
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/mutualfund/08/top-mutual-fund-managers.asp
https://www.swfinstitute.org/fund-manager-rankings
https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/fund-manager/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-performing-stock-fund-managers-over-a-turbulent-year-11648939304
