Preserve then Enhance: Investment decisions are made with a focus on first preserving, then enhancing capital.

Long-term Focus: SEAMARK adds value by looking beyond short-term market “noise”, selecting quality investments that can be bought and held for the long-term, limiting transaction costs and the risks associated with market timing.

Team-based: SEAMARK’s investment professionals work as a team to select and monitor investments, limiting personal biases and ensuring our best ideas are consistently applied for the benefit of all clients.

Safety of Principal: Fixed income securities provide a foundation for investors and are selected with an emphasis on providing safety of principal.

Reliability of Income: SEAMARK focuses on high credit quality fixed income securities where, upon independent review, the fixed income team is satisfied the possibility for default by the issuer is effectively zero over the time horizon of the investment.

Liquidity: Securities are carefully reviewed prior to purchase to ensure they will be sufficiently liquid to allow the subsequent sale at a reasonable price, should this prove necessary.

Yield Opportunities: SEAMARK continually monitors the fixed income market to assess potential rewards and risks, structuring fixed income portfolios to take advantage of the most attractive opportunities.

Bottom-up: Equity securities are selected with a view to “buying the company”, focusing on the underlying fundamental value of the business.

Quality: SEAMARK only invests in companies that display the following quality characteristics:

• management: SEAMARK seeks companies that may be held for the long-term, so management must be able to formulate and execute a shareholder-friendly long-term business strategy
• balance sheet: the company must have the financial strength to weather difficult times and the financial flexibility to take advantage of opportunities that may arise
• competitive position:  finally, the company must have some advantage that helps ensure the sustainability of current earnings and provides the opportunity to deliver above-average returns over the long-term

Globally Competitive: SEAMARK takes a global view, recognizing that most successful companies are proven leaders in providing their products or services in an increasingly interdependent and competitive global marketplace.

Durable Growth: Preference is given to companies in the global marketplace that are growing at a rate above the average growth rate of the economy.

Value Creation: SEAMARK is careful not to overpay for an investment opportunity. After identifying a company with attractive long-term growth and investment return characteristics, SEAMARK waits for opportunities to buy the company at a reasonable price.

Value Preservation: While being patient with its quality investments, SEAMARK seeks to “sell well”, selling companies when there has been a deterioration in the quality of the business or when the market price for the stock far exceeds the prospects for the business.

Diversification: Leading companies in many attractive industries are held to ensure diversification.