First Quarter 2012 Attribution vs. S&P 500 Index
Materials. Security selection within materials detracted value. Holdings within the gold industry were negative for relative performance as these firms incurred rising extraction costs. Gold was the outlier within the metals and mining industry as other metal-related companies generated positive returns during the period. We continue to believe the materials sector will be supported by increased demand for resources from emerging market regions, as well as by reflation efforts and accommodative central bank policies. We are focused on long-term opportunities within the diversified metals and mining, fertilizers and agricultural chemicals, and gold industries.
Financials. Security selection and an underweight to financials detracted from relative returns. Within the index, sector returns were boosted by companies within the diversified financial services industry as well as the investment banking and brokerage industry. We remain cautious toward most financials. We have generally held a low weight in the sector due to increased regulations globally and our belief that significant business risks remain in many large financial institutions. Recently, we have favored investment in globally diversified asset managers and selected insurers that we believe have lower underlying credit risk.
Consumer discretionary. Security selection within the consumer discretionary sector detracted value. Holdings within the casinos and gaming industry underperformed, in particular, due to concerns regarding deceleration in fundamentals. Within consumer discretionary, we favor consumer companies with high growth potential, including scalable business models, global footprints and access to consumer growth in emerging markets.
Consumer staples. Security selection and an underweight to the consumer staples sector added value. Within the sector, we favor companies with growing niche brands and those with strong global operations.
Utilities and telecommunication services. An underweight to the more defensive utilities and telecommunication services sectors contributed to relative returns as they were the weakest performing sectors within the index.