Another piece of Callan advice that caught Shipione's eye was its recommendation that San Diego retain Lincoln Capital Management to run a large-cap growth portfolio.

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She is responsible for driving thought leadership in the field of human capital management for global organisations facing cross border expansion and growth.

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Similarly, mutual funds like the Junior Energy Fund and venture capital firms like Solios Asset Management have made big bets that growth in nuclear power is inevitable.

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The report also cited the strong quarterly dividend history at Annaly Capital Management Inc, and favorable long-term multi-year growth rates in key fundamental data points.

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"If you have 3% inflation rate, businesses will have to keep pace in terms of wage growth, " said Yuuki Sakurai, chief executive of Fukoku Capital Management.

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Among diversified capital goods companies, Eaton had neither the celebrated management of a GE nor a reputation for consistent earnings growth like Illinois Tool Works.

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Outspoken analyst and fund manager Tom Brown, of New York-based Second Curve Capital, wrote in a letter to Citigroup's board last week that "the growth strategy lately being articulated by management will end in costly failure, " and he repeated his call for a break-up of the company.

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