Béatrice de Saint-Levé

HSBC GAM-France is an active, long-term manager which follows a growth-oriented investment approach to invest globally in equity and debt across market-caps and sectors. The firm’s approach to portfolio management is rigorous and consistent and integrates risk management principles at each stage of the process. Their philosophy emphasizes dynamic asset allocation and combines top-down and bottom-up approaches. Sector or style allocation is top-down and focused on business cycle expectations, global sector trends, regional sector fundamentals and relative valuation. Stock selection is bottom-up and based on fundamental analysis focused on earnings growth as influenced by industry trends, market leadership, management effectiveness and sensitivity to economic trends.

HCM-France is an active investment manager with a long-term investment horizon. The bulk of their investments are in Europe, with marginal diversification in emerging countries. Fundamental analysis and decentralized decisions are paramount to the firm's investment approach, and they occasionally follow a contrarian investment style. The investment process is conviction-driven. HCM-France invests primarily in equity, fixed income (including high-yield bonds), credit derivatives and money-market instruments. Within strategies, the firm does not customize or tailor their approach. Equity portfolios are diversified with relatively low turnover. Extensive fundamental analysis informs the firm's bottom-up investment process and aims at identifying mispriced stocks of European companies with superior profitability potential. Company visits are part of the research process, as is quantitative analysis. Investment decisions are made autonomously by small focused teams specialized in an asset class or a strategy, and not following any particular investment style.