Investment Commentary on the Fourth Quarter 2011

While investment outlooks going forward are promising in many ways, uncertainty in the economy in Europe and other factors still loom.

2012-05-08

ATLANTA, GA, May 08, 2012 (Press-News.org) 2011 was a volatile year in the global economy. Unrest and uprisings in the Middle East drove oil prices higher early in the year. Japan was hit by an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear disaster, which disrupted supply chains around the globe. Political gridlock and inept politicians brought the U.S. government to the brink of shutting down, and Standard & Poor's downgraded the United States from AAA.

Not to be outdone, politicians in Europe failed to provide the leadership needed to create lasting structural reforms and calm market fears over their sovereign debt issue. Despite being buffeted by crisis after crisis in 2011, investors with diversified portfolios held up better than we would have expected in such an environment.

Despite a tough year, many stocks are attractively priced, corporate balance sheets are flush with cash and profitability is very high. For investors with a medium to long term time horizon, we expect the rewards to be worth enduring the pain of short term volatility.

Looking ahead, we expect another year of modest growth in the U.S. economy. We continue to think high quality U.S. stocks with strong earnings have the potential to do well over the next several years.

While stock valuations are attractive and the U.S. economy has strengthened, we have to balance that against continued elevated global macroeconomic risks in positioning client investment portfolios. Remembering that the growth side of a portfolio has large upside opportunities because of its higher short term volatility is important to having the confidence and patience needed to be a successful investor and reap the rewards that only come over a multi-year time horizon.

For the full Investment Commentary or more information on Atlanta investment management, visit http://www.brightworth.com

About Brightworth

Brightworth is an independent, fee-only wealth management firm that serves entrepreneurs and high net worth families and individuals. The firm and/or its partners have been nationally ranked as one of Robb Report Worth Magazine's 100 Most Exclusive Wealth Advisors, Mutual Fundsmagazine's 100 Top Advisors, Wealth Manager magazine's Top 150 Wealth Managers and Barron's Indie 100 list of top independent financial advisors, and are members of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).

For more information, please visit http://www.brightworth.com.

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