It began as a little experiment. What if companies recognized for being great places to work actually did better financially, too? It seemed like a no-brainer to fund manager Jerome Dodson and when he set up the Workplace Fund in 2005, he made a firm’s reputation as a good work environment a deciding factor in his investment choices.
As of October 06, 2016, the fund has assets totaling almost $1.82 billion invested in 23.00 different holdings. Its portfolio primarily consists of medium- to mega-cap domestic stocks.
Throughout 2010, the fund lagged behind the S&P 500 in large part due to weak performance by its holdings in Qualcomm and eBay. Despite the negative impact on the fund, Dodson told shareholders that he’ll hold onto the stocks for now – he expects Qualcomm to get a boost in revenue and earnings from increased handset sales and says eBay’s stock is trading at bargain levels. As of September 2010, he has no plans to increase the fund’s holdings in either company.
Lately, Dodson likes Adobe, he and added the California-based software company to his fund’s holdings in late September 2010. “They’re a very good company in terms of workplace and they have a lot of respect for the individual there,” Dodson says. “Before it was overvalued but now when it drops 20 percent it becomes a bargain in our opinion.” The fund has returned 20.41 percent over the past year and 14.69 percent over the past three years.
The fund has fared well over the long term, returning 20.24 percent over the past five years.