Thomas Marion Slaton

CCM Holdings is a growth-oriented investment management firm that seeks to identify fundamentally strong companies, while remaining conscious of short-term financial momentum as well as the relative valuation of companies. The firm begins by using a multi-factor model to screen stocks. This screening assures all stocks eligible for further review have adequate institutional liquidity, are consistently analyzed on the same growth and valuation parameters. They seek to eliminate biases that may have precluded an objective consideration. This screening and analysis also allows them to construct portfolios that are not totally dependent on the performance of any particular sector of the market. After the screening reduces the universe of companies to a working list, qualitative analysis is undertaken to select the best investments for their portfolios. CCM's approach leads to modest over- or underweighting of sectors but within very controlled parameters. The investment process begins and ends with the investment policy committee (IPC), which is comprised of the firm's investment professionals. A consensus is required to approve all decisions of the IPC, and each member of the IPC expresses their judgment and expertise in this venue rather than through portfolio construction. After the most attractive purchase candidates are identified by the committee, holdings are added to portfolios across all accounts. CCM's fixed-income management process is focused on adding value through incremental returns. In order to produce relative stability in the portfolio and provide preservation of principle, intermediate maturity securities of the highest quality are used. This approach produces a portfolio that is primarily U.S. government and agency securities. To accomplish incremental return to the portfolio in a prudent manner, the IPC monitors the economy and financial markets to determine if opportunities are available to enhance returns within the context of the firm's risk-averse philosophy. When the proper relationship develops between potential for incremental return versus the associated risk, they moderately adjust the maturity of the portfolio. Additionally, they utilize high quality, non-government bonds when these same attractive conditions exist.

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