How We Invest
This oak tree depicts
STRENGTH STABILITY WISDOM
The oak tree has become the image that best correlates to our philosophy of investing. A mighty oak tree takes a lot of time to mature, and it depicts strength, stability and wisdom. It has withstood the test of time and survived to thrive on the other side of storms. It possesses a strength that resonates.
We believe a great portfolio carries similar traits.
We build portfolios of individual stocks. We don’t believe stocks are pieces of paper you flip in/out of on whims but rather, they represent ownership of an actual business. We don’t just shop at Lowe’s; we own a part of the company. We own Apple iPhones but we also own the stock Not only do we charge purchases on our American Express card, but we also own a part of American Express. This mindset matters. Clients will call from time to time and say "The stock market is down 2% today, should I be worried?" Usually, we'll encourage them to ride by Lowe's and look at the parking lot. Is it crowded? Whether the market goes up or down day-to-day, we're still shopping at Lowe's, still using our iPhone, charging on our credit card, filling up our cars, booking vacations and ordering things on Amazon. The companies we own get up and go to work every single day trying to grow, beat sales quotas and take market share regardless of what the stock market is doing.
We don't own the stock market. We own businesses.
We believe taking an ownership mentality with our stocks is key. Greatmark strives to invest in businesses that you can have long-term confidence in owning. We believe that once you can learn to "think like an owner", you’ll be more likely to stick with your investments when the inevitable storms come.
We invest with a long-term view. We don't chase quarterly performance. We won't sell your holdings or buy new ones because short-term results lag some benchmark. The decisions we make are designed to produce long-term results for our investing partners. We don’t demand immediate results from our companies. Time can be your greatest asset with an investment. By releasing the pressure of needing immediate gratification, we can give our investments the time they need to bear fruit …
THE DAY YOU PLANT THE SEED IS
NOT THE DAY YOU EAT THE FRUIT.
Our investing process is centered around what we believe are the core building blocks of successful investing …
We believe this process is sound and that it has withstood the test of time. In many ways, it is investing the way it used to be before you could check your iPhone to get instantaneous portfolio updates. There is wisdom in patience.
For a deeper look at our investing philosophy, please click here to request a copy of our “Greatmark Guide to Investing”. We are ready to Help You Grow Your Wealth!