Manager Research
Choosing a professional portfolio manager is one of the most important decisions any investor can make. Given the thousands of managers and funds available, finding the right investment manager can be a challenge.
To help investors make these difficult decisions, our Investment Advisor Research team at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney has developed a disciplined process for evaluating investment managers. Our research is focused on a review of both qualitative and quantitative factors; factors that are designed to deliver a wealth of detailed information about the investment products available through our advisory programs.
Goals of Investment Advisor Research
- We seek to offer our clients a diverse selection of independent, third-party investment managers and products who meet or exceed our quality standards
- We seek to provide practical, actionable advice that will enable clients to select appropriate managers and effectively monitor their on-going performance
- Where appropriate, we seek to help clients take advantage of shorter-term market trends that may favor specific managers or strategies
- Approved List: Investment products that meet acceptable research standards have passed a process that examines a variety of factors known to influence manager quality. A research analyst and an investment officer make a final decision to include or not include an investment product on our Approved List.
- Focus List: Our research analysts believe that investment products from the Approved List and a broad universe of potential investment candidates have the potential to outperform the appropriate market benchmark or a respective peer group over a longer period, typically greater than three years. Before they are recommended to our clients, Focus List products following a more intensive quantitative and qualitative review of the investment manager.
