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Total AUMAvg. PM Years ExperienceYears Since Inception
$17.5B 3355
As of September 30 2025

Strategy Average Annual Total Returns

(%)2
YTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years
Gross of Fees 13.93 16.55 23.04 15.69 14.20 14.81
Net of Fees 13.43 15.86 22.32 15.00 13.51 14.10
S&P 500 Index 14.83 17.60 24.94 16.47 14.45 15.30
As of September 30 2025
  

Overview

The Appreciation Strategy seeks to balance upside return potential with downside risk protection by investing in high-quality large cap stocks.

Strategy OverviewPrimarily large cap growth and value stocks
BenchmarkS&P 500 Index
Total Strategy AUM $17.5B
Holdings Range 50-801
Objective Seeks long-term appreciation of capital3

Investment Philosophy

The managers seek to provide consistent and competitive risk-adjusted returns through a market cycle by balancing upside participation in good markets, while trying to limit downside risk during difficult markets.

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Strategy Facts

An active focus on risk management has led to lower levels of risk and volatility than the benchmark over the same time periods.

Literature & Perspectives

Focusing on Cash Flow Durability in White-Hot Market
Appreciation 3Q25: The market appears to be entering a more speculative phase, raising the risk of correction.
Appreciation Strategy 3Q25 Update
Portfolio Manager Stephen Rigo discusses recent performance, positioning activity and his views on where corporate profits and market leadership are heading in the coming months.
Pullbacks Remain Buyable
Appreciation 2Q25: Although we believe the market is fully valued, policy remains favorable to economic growth in the near-term while capital markets conditions suggest stocks can continue to perform well.
Risk Aversion Ready for a Bumpy Ride
Appreciation 1Q25: The current “on again/off again” policy environment has meaningfully raised the risk of an economic slowdown.
Distilling Progress in Generative AI
Analysts Hilary Frisch and Naveen Jayasundaram take the pulse of companies leading Gen AI efforts in the wake of the DeepSeek disruption.
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Vehicles

Investment Process

  • Screen large cap stocks with an emphasis on identifying dominant, high-quality companies
  • Evaluate stocks through proprietary research, pinpointing  companies with dominant market positions, proven management teams and superior balance sheets
  • Construct portfolio of stocks with attractive growth characteristics relative to their valuation levels
  • Continuously review holdings, monitoring risk, valuation and potential buys and sells

Appreciation Strategy Performance

An emphasis on risk management has produced strong risk-adjusted returns.

Average Annual Total Returns (%)2

YTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years
Gross of Fees 13.93 16.55 23.04 15.69 14.20 14.81
Net of Fees 13.43 15.86 22.32 15.00 13.51 14.10
S&P 500 Index 14.83 17.60 24.94 16.47 14.45 15.30
Created with Highcharts 9.3.313.4313.4315.8615.8622.3222.32151513.5113.5114.114.113.9313.9316.5516.5523.0423.0415.6915.6914.214.214.8114.8114.8314.8317.617.624.9424.9416.4716.4714.4514.4515.315.3Net of FeesGross of FeesS&P 500 IndexYTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years

Characteristics

The Strategy has typically taken on less risk than its benchmark, as measured by beta.

Sector Weights1,2

Representative PortfolioS&P 500 Index
Consumer Discretionary7.1210.54
Consumer Staples6.384.91
Energy3.282.89
Financials13.3213.54
Health Care7.378.86
Industrials11.798.29
Information Technology28.6534.78
Materials4.961.77
Communication Services13.4710.14
Utilities1.352.35
Cash1.480.00
Real Estate0.841.94
Created with Highcharts 9.3.37.127.126.386.383.283.2813.3213.327.377.3711.7911.7928.6528.654.964.9613.4713.471.351.351.481.480.840.8410.5410.544.914.912.892.8913.5413.548.868.868.298.2934.7834.781.771.7710.1410.142.352.350.000.001.941.94Representative PortfolioS&P 500 IndexConsumerDiscretionaryConsumer StaplesEnergyFinancialsHealth CareIndustrialsInformationTechnologyMaterialsCommunicationServicesUtilitiesCashReal Estate
Portfolio Characteristics1,2
Characteristics Representative Portfolio S&P 500 Index
P/E Ratio (trailing 12 mos.)30.028.9
P/E Ratio (forward 12 mos.)26.825.0
Price/Book9.08.2
EPS Growth Next 3-5 Years (%)11.111.8
Weighted Median Market Cap ($ bn)509.5403.2
Weighted Average Market Cap ($ bn)1351.31321.6
ROE29.225.8
Dividend Yield1.11.1
Turnover (trailing 12 mos.)26.7-
Risk Statistics1
10 Year Risk Statistics Composite S&P 500 Index
Standard Deviation (%)14.05 15.31
Sharpe Ratio0.86 0.87
Tracking Error (%)2.85 --
R20.97 --
Alpha (%)0.04 --
Beta0.90 --
Top 10 Holdings1
Characteristics % of Total Representative Portfolio
Microsoft Corp9.06
NVIDIA Corp7.35
Alphabet Inc5.24
Apple Inc4.49
Meta Platforms Inc3.86
Broadcom Inc3.36
Amazon.com Inc3.00
JPMorgan Chase & Co2.91
Bank of America Corp2.64
Walmart Inc2.43
Total44.32
Total Number of Holdings 56
  • Source: FactSet. Representative portfolio characteristics, holdings, sector weightings and market cap are based on a representative portfolio and are subject to change at any time. Holdings, sector weightings, market cap and portfolio characteristics of individual client portfolios may differ, sometimes significantly, from those shown. This information does not constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice or recommendations with respect to the securities and sectors listed. Statistics shown are net of fees.
    2 Past performance is no guarantee of future results. See GIPS endnotes. Performance is preliminary and subject to change.
    There is no guarantee that the Strategy's objective will be met.
    P/E ratios are weighted harmonic average. Price/Book is weighted average.

  • Performance source: Internal. Benchmark source: Standard & Poor's.

  • ClearBridge Investments, LLC claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®) and has prepared and presented this report in compliance with the GIPS standards. ClearBridge Investments, LLC ("ClearBridge") is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin”). In July 2020 Legg Mason, Inc., its parent company, was purchased by Franklin. The investment advisory business now known as ClearBridge was registered in September 2005 to facilitate Legg Mason's acquisition of substantially all the equity asset management businesses known as Citigroup Asset Management. These former businesses serve as the foundation of ClearBridge and its claim of GIPS compliance for institutional accounts through predecessor firms, effective as of January 1997. In June 2008, ClearBridge combined this business with its retail business to form a single GIPS firm. As of April 1, 2013, January 1, 2016, May 1, 2020, and January 1, 2024 ClearBridge affiliates, Global Currents Investment Management, LLC, ClearBridge, LLC, ClearBridge Investments Limited (f/k/a RARE Infrastructure Limited), and Franklin Bissett Asset Management have become part of the ClearBridge GIPS firm.

  • The ClearBridge Appreciation Composite invests primarily in medium and large capitalization companies, but may also invest in small capitalization companies. The manager seeks investments among a strong core of growth and value stocks, consisting primarily of blue chip companies dominant in their industries. Results are calculated in U.S. dollars. The S&P 500 Index is a broad-based measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average performance of 500 widely held common stocks. To receive a complete list and description of ClearBridge composites and/or a presentation that adheres to the GIPS standards, please contact ClearBridge Institutional Marketing.

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