Dividends are a key part of the return of an equity portfolio, according to the managers of the ING Global Equity Dividend, as they provide smoother and more sustainable growth. But finding the right companies remains crucial as running a high-conviction portfolio, where every stock has equal weight. Constrained only by the yield and its sustainability, the fund can invest in any part of the world and any sector to achieve growth with lower risk.

Taking advantage of Wall Street’s focus on the short term, Ariel Appreciation Fund seeks stocks that are temporarily out of favor but whose long-term potential and predictable business models offer shareholders great value over time. Portfolio Manager Matt Sauer invests in quality companies in industries where Ariel has expertise, and only buys when these businesses are selling at a significant discount to their private market value.

Jerome Heppelmann manages both the Old Mutual Large Cap (“Large Cap Fund”) and the Old Mutual Focused Fund (“Focused”) with a similar philosophy and process that are based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to find the right balance between valuation, near-term dynamics, and long-term growth. But the Large Cap Fund is more diversified - it is designed for investors who may not want the large individual weights of a concentrated fund.

Jerome Heppelmann, the manager of the Old Mutual Focused Fund, believes that there is ample opportunity in the large-cap space because most of his peers strictly follow the benchmark. Contrary to them, the fund invests in no more than 30 companies. Cognizant of the inherent risk in a focused portfolio, the manager grounds his selection on the trade-off between valuation and growth and looks for companies that offer downside protection.

To invest successfully in technology one has to have a global perspective. The technology sector is perhaps the most global in terms of both supply and demand. That’s why Ian Warmerdam, the manager of the Henderson Global Technology Fund, believes that the analysis of technology stocks cannot be done from a purely domestic perspective if you want to have the entire picture. The Fund stresses rigorous analysis, valuation and behavioral finance techniques in its bottom-up selection process.

The true business owner perspective means a truly long-term view when buying and selling stocks. That in itself provides an advantage over the competition, according to Jim Norris the manager of the Wells Fargo Advantage C&B Mid Cap Value Fund. The long-term view and the relatively small number of holdings enable him to capitalize on the short-term problems and respective price dips of otherwise quality businesses.