High Dividend Equities (U.S. & Global)

A lower volatility equity strategy to help insurers build surplus while using dividends to generate additional portfolio income.

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Approach

Conning invests in lower volatility equities that may offer insurers greater downside protection while helping build surplus, utilizing quantitative screening and qualitative analysis by both the firm's equity and fixed-income teams. We seek publicly traded U.S. equities of large companies with strong balance sheets and cash flow that have higher dividend yields than the S&P 500 index, a history of stable payouts with potential for consistent dividend growth, and potential for capital appreciation. All securities are held in client portfolios; dividends can provide portfolio income or be reinvested.

Screening Process

We begin with a quantitative screening of the S&P 500 Index to identify companies that meet minimums for market capitalization, current dividend yield and other financial health measures, usually about 70 to 100 names. A qualitative review further eliminates close-watch names and others with risks to dividend payouts, and we complete a fundamental analysis including ESG factor assessment, further reducing our candidate list to between 60 and 80 names. From this we target 40-60 stocks for the portfolio, reviewing them continually and repeating and refining the quantitative screening quarterly.
1

S&P 500 Selection

Begin with the S&P 500 Index as the initial pool of stocks
2

Quantitative Screening

Identify companies meeting minimums for market cap, current dividend yield and other financial health measures.
3

Quantitative Review

Eliminate close-watch names and others with risks to dividend payouts; complete fundamental analysis including ESG assessment.
4

Security Selection

Select 40-60 names for the portfolio. Review names continually, repeat and refine quantitative screening quarterly.
 

Expert

Don Townswick

Donald Townswick, CFAis a Managing Director and the Director of Equity Strategies, responsible for the development and implementation of equity investment strategies and is a member of the team managing Conning’s dividend equity strategies. Prior to joining Conning in 2015, he was senior portfolio manager for global equity strategies at Golden Capital Management. Previously, he was director of quantitative research for ING, and a U.S. equities portfolio manager with INVESCO and Aetna. Mr. Townswick earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. 

Donald Townswick, CFAis a Managing Director and the Director of Equity Strategies, responsible for the development and implementation of equity investment strategies and is a member of the team managing Conning’s dividend equity strategies. Prior to joining Conning in 2015, he was senior portfolio manager for global equity strategies at Golden Capital Management. Previously, he was director of quantitative research for ING, and a U.S. equities portfolio manager with INVESCO and Aetna. Read More...

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Risk Considerations

 
Prices will decline in bear markets for equities. Potential changes in dividend tax rates could lessen demand for the asset class A sharp increase in interest rates could affect prices of income-oriented equities.