First Quarter 2018 Commentary And Review

The Broadleaf Growth Equity Portfolio continued a recent run of strong relative results, even in the down and volatile market experienced during the first quarter. Short, intermediate and long term, our results are ahead of our benchmarks on a net of fees basis.

Passive management vehicles (index funds) have been crowing about their outperformance relative to active managers for years, and even Warren Buffett was in on the action with a recent ten-year bet that came to a close at the end of 2017.

That bet, that a group of hedge funds would not outperform the S&P 500 for the ten years ending December 31, 2017, proved a prescient one, and Warren won his million-dollar wager. What was not widely shared was the fact that Warren Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B), similarly underperformed the market, to the tune of roughly .8% annually.

Well, guess what?

Little old Broadleaf Partners, based in Hudson, Ohio, would have won said wager with Warren Buffett. Had you been a client for the ten-year period, you not only would have outperformed the market, but you would have outperformed famed investor Warren Buffett by approximaly 1.6% annually!

For the rest of our thoughts on the quarter and our investment outlook, please view Broadleaf Partners First Quarter 2018 Commentary and Review below.