SECURITY SELECTION PROCESS

We use a combination of economic research, study of macroeconomic and industry long-term trends, tempered by qualitative and quantitative analysis to make thoughtful investment selections. Generally, we are not traders and do not believe in attempting to forecast the short-term stock market. We are active long-term investors, tailoring our selections for each client’s objectives based on our knowledge and experience. We frequently seek out small, sound companies that offer substantial appreciation opportunities. Discovering these types of companies, for the benefit of our clients, is a hallmark of Hunter Associates and another distinctive element of our heritage.

FIXED INCOME INVESTMENTS

The Hunter Associates’ approach is that the Conservative Fixed-Income category (Group I) of a portfolio should strongly emphasize safeguarding the client’s principal. This section should be stable, helping to manage the volatility of an investor’s portfolio. With the guidance of an advisor, funds protected in the Fixed-Income group can also be used, particularly by more aggressive investors, to take advantage of declines in the stock market. This can be a vital component of a long-term investment policy. Fixed-Income investing, when done with minimal risk to the principal, can also be used to generate current income.

EQUITY INVESTMENTS

At Hunter Associates, we offer several types of equity investments including mutual funds, exchange traded funds, master limited partnerships and common stocks. We classify these into three risk-based groups: Conservative (Group II), High-Grade Growth (Group III), and Aggressive Growth for Appreciation (Group IV). Generally, our advisors select investments to help clients gain long-term ownership of superior companies, whether held as conservative or aggressive investments. In contrast to the Conservative Fixed-Income (Group I) section of a portfolio, we believe owning a carefully selected mixture of Groups II – IV is the most appropriate allocation to assume risk for incremental reward.