Makoto Sumino

GE Asset Management's (GEAM) core investment strategies include US equities, international equities, fixed-income, real estate and private equity. The firm follows a disciplined, fundamental, bottom-up approach to investing in US equities. Their US equity investment approach involves rigorous analyses of financial data, including industry, sector and company information, as well as qualitative assessments of management and their ability to execute business plans. Generally, GEAM invests in companies that are industry leaders with high quality earnings and a history of creating shareholder value. GEAM's international equities approach includes a variety of strategies such as International Equity, Global Equity and Emerging Markets Equity, as well as regional and country specific mandates for Canada, Europe, Euroland, China and India. All strategies are driven by a bottom-up, fundamental research process. GEAM's fixed-income team manages a variety of investment styles and strategies that span the yield curve and credit quality universe. The firm manages a variety of products designed to meet various customer risk/return parameters. GEAM's fixed-income team follows a relative value approach, emphasizing a fundamental, bottom-up process with the objective of enhancing returns while limiting volatility. The firm's International Private Equity team invests in companies domiciled and doing a substantial portion of their business outside of the US. They focus primarily on corporate buyouts and growth-equity investments, but they also selectively consider later-stage venture capital investments. GEAM considers investment opportunities across a broad range of industrial sectors and geographic areas and pursues potential investment opportunities in both developed and emerging markets.

Brokers and trades securities and other financial instruments

SSgA FM utilizes several methods of investment analysis across a wide array of investment strategies when formulating investment advice or managing assets. The firm does not rely on one type of investment analysis over another and does not recommend one particular type of security. They seek to utilize the most prudent methods of investment analysis based upon certain characteristics of the investment strategy and the current market conditions, as applicable.

Functions as a College/University

GEAM-JP is a GARP-oriented investment manager aiming to generate consistent, risk-adjusted returns over the long-term through the exploitation of market inefficiencies. The firm invests in equity and fixed-income globally, with a strong focus on Asian securities and the Japanese market particularly. The firm's investment approach is bottom-up within a screened universe, and conviction-based. GEAM-JP's investment process starts with a qualitative and quantitative pre-selection of companies considered within industries, focused on low price-to-cash earnings ratio as compared to long-term growth. This selection accounts for currency risk and macroeconomic variables likely to affect companies. Stock-picking then favors companies with industry leadership, sound financials, understandable business models, positive management track-record and positive fundamental momentum. The firm uses Porter's competitive analysis model to assess a company's strategic position. They seek to identify a catalyst likely to release a company's growth potential, such as corporate restructuring, the introduction of new products, entry into a new market or a change in regulatory environment. While diversified across industries, portfolios are concentrated. Research combines resources available through the GE network, proprietary models, company visits and complementary outsourcing. Investments are divested when their market price target is reached, when fundamentals change or when the strategy of the management diverges.

Functions as a College/University