Fundamental equity team
Located in Toronto and Montreal, the Manulife fundamental equity team averages over 10 years of experience and has more than CAD$8 billion* in retail and institutional assets under management.
The fundamental equity difference
- Tangible free cash flow—Finding companies that generate cash in excess of what they need to run their business is a critical part of driving long-term growth.
- Deep understanding of business quality—By getting to the root of profitability, finding how much capital is being used to generate returns, how sustainable the results are, and adjusting, the team can view and compare companies through the same lens.
- Intense focus on valuation—The team tests different scenarios that can affect cash flows, uncovering potential upside, downside, and base-case scenario for each company they analyze and value, which allows them to have confidence in when to buy, hold, or sell.
Get to know the Manulife fundamental equity team
They take a three-pronged approach to uncovering opportunities:
- Free cash flow—The team seeks companies that generate cash in excess of what’s needed to run the business. If a company can’t generate more cash than it needs to operate, the long-term viability of the business can be cause for serious concern.
- Sustainability—The team develops a deep understanding of the quality of the business itself and its managers. Not only must the business generate free cash flow, but it must also be sustainable and growing. A disciplined management team that knows how to reinvest that cash wisely to create greater cash flows in the future is a hallmark of a successful business.
- Valuation—The team uses in-house, proprietary valuation models to stress-test scenarios that can affect business cash flow. Global and local economic factors, new regulations, tariffs, and many more factors can have a material impact on businesses.
Meet the team behind the funds
Important disclosure
Team members and responsibilities listed are as of January 20, 2022.
Investment process
The fundamental equity team believes that long-term stock returns are linked to a company’s ability to use its assets to generate income. To find such companies, they use a proprietary method of calculating economic earnings and cash-based return on capital. Their investment approach is best characterized as style neutral, fundamental in nature, and done on a company-by-company basis.
This disciplined approach to seeking companies with strong capital efficiency and the right kind of cash flow can help portfolios generate returns in up markets and offer protection in down markets.
Important disclosure
Portfolio managers may use some or all of the techniques described. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee returns or eliminate risk in any market environment. Characteristics, guidelines, and constraints are for illustrative purposes only. They may change at any time and may differ for a specific account.
Funds/pools managed
Mutual funds
- Manulife Canadian Dividend Growth Fund
- Manulife Canadian Equity Class
- Manulife Canadian Equity Private Pool
- Manulife Canadian Growth and Income Private Trust
- Manulife Climate Action Class
- Manulife Climate Action Fund
- Manulife Fundamental Balanced Class
- Manulife Fundamental Dividend Fund
- Manulife Fundamental Equity Fund
- Manulife Fundamental Income Class
- Manulife Fundamental Income Fund
- Manulife Tactical Income Fund
Segregated funds
- Ideal Canadian Dividend Growth Fund
- Ideal Tactical Income Fund
- Manulife Canadian Equity Class GIF Select
- Manulife Canadian Equity Private Segregated Pool
- Manulife Canadian Growth & Income Private Segregated Pool
- Manulife Climate Action GIF Select
- Manulife Climate Action Private Segregated Pool
- Manulife Fundamental Balanced Class GIF Select
- Manulife Fundamental Balanced Class Private Segregated Pool
- Manulife Fundamental Dividend GIF Select
- Manulife Fundamental Equity GIF Select
- Manulife Fundamental Equity Private Segregated Pool
- Manulife Fundamental Income GIF Select
Profits are a matter of opinion. Cash flows are a matter of fact.
Important disclosure
* As of June 30, 2021 CAD.
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the fund facts as well as the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Manulife Funds (including the Trust Pools) and Manulife Corporate Classes (including the Class Pools) are managed by Manulife Investment Management Limited (formerly named Manulife Asset Management Limited). Manulife Investment Management is a trade name of Manulife Investment Management Limited. Manulife, Stylized M Design, and Manulife Investment Management & Design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and its affiliates under license.
Any amount that is allocated to a segregated fund is invested at the risk of the contractholder and may increase or decrease in value. Returns shown are after the MER has been deducted. Performance histories are not indicative of future performance. For information on guarantees, fees and expenses that may apply to segregated funds, please read the information folder, contract and fund facts of the segregated funds. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife) is the issuer of insurance contracts containing Manulife segregated funds and the guarantor of any guarantee provisions therein. Manulife Investment Management is a trade name of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company.
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