The firm merits an Above Average Parent rating.
A longtime commitment to a unique, valuation-based investing approach sets GMO apart, as does its investment teams' discipline, analytical rigor, and high level of average experience. The firm publishes seven-year asset-class forecasts, updated monthly, alongside regular market commentary, allowing investors to gain insight into the thinking that informs the positioning calls of managers across the franchise. GMO's bold, and often contrarian, calls have produced mixed results. The firm, however, markets its strategies almost exclusively to institutional clients rather than a broader retail audience, partially in recognition of the patience needed to benefit from its style.
CEO Scott Hayward has set the firm on better footing since taking over in 2017. After the firm had suffered from a spate of personnel departures, including its previous CEO, and steep outflows in 2016, Hayward cut two ill-fitting teams, acquired boutique Japanese equity manager Usonian, and hired a head of investment risk by the end of 2020. The firm has stabilized since then, with manager retention rising precipitously and with fund closures falling markedly.