To enforce its long-term philosophy, the largest component of a portfolio manager's bonus at Capital Group is their 8-year performance record, while one-year results are the smallest factor. This structure insulates managers from short-term market pressures and gives them the necessary "time to be right" on their convictions.

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Eagle Capital's competitive edge isn't just stock picking; it’s built on 'duration'—a 35-year history, 5+ year holding periods, and long-term clients. This structural stability attracts top talent and creates a flywheel effect for sustained success in an increasingly short-term world.

Instead of demanding immediate portfolio construction, Capital Group gives new investment analysts a three-to-six-month non-producing onboarding period. This time is dedicated to deep industry research and internal knowledge absorption, fostering a long-term, thoughtful approach from day one.

By decoupling bonuses from AUM, the firm removes the incentive for managers to hoard assets for personal gain. This allows leadership to allocate capital optimally across managers based on style and portfolio needs, promoting a culture focused purely on performance.

Venture capital returns materialize over a decade, making short-term outputs like markups unreliable 'mirages.' Sequoia instead measures partners on tangible inputs. They are reviewed semi-annually on the quality of their decision-making process (e.g., investment memos) and their adherence to core team values, not on premature financial metrics.

Capital Group values managers who maintain a consistent investment style (e.g., value or growth) and avoid "style creep," especially during skewed markets. Since the firm manages risk by combining managers with different styles, an individual changing their approach midstream creates an unintended, problematic portfolio imbalance.

By removing the annual bonus cycle, Eagle Capital eliminates short-term performance pressure on analysts. This encourages them to focus on investment theses that play out over 3-7 years, aligning compensation with the firm's long-duration investment strategy.

The modern market is driven by short-term incentives, with hedge funds and pod shops trading based on quarterly estimates. This creates volatility and mispricing. An investor who can withstand short-term underperformance and maintain a multi-year view can exploit these structural inefficiencies.

The interview process at Capital Group intentionally takes 6 to 12 months. While acknowledging they lose some candidates, the firm views the lengthy process as a valuable filter. It helps select for patient individuals who are genuinely committed to a long-term career, aligning with the firm's core investment values.

The firm's stated competitive edge is "time." By tying quantitative bonuses predominantly to eight-year results rather than one-year performance, it structurally enables portfolio managers to build long-term conviction and avoid reactive, short-term decision-making.

Eagle Capital pays its analysts salary only, with no bonuses. This unconventional structure removes the pressure for short-term performance, aligns incentives with the firm's multi-year holding periods, and counter-positions against the bonus-driven culture of multi-manager funds.