- Portfolio manager George Farra says he turns to “high quality stocks that pay dividends” in periods of extreme market volatility.
- Among his top picks are property/casualty insurance companies Chubb and Progressive.
- Farra is the co-founder and principal of Woodley Farra Manion, which comes in at No. 1 on the CNBC FA 100 list for 2022.
Investors are rightfully worried about volatility.
After stocks slumped in September, markets have had a strong start to the month and are now on track to notch the biggest two-day rally since March 2020.
The key to navigating the recent ups and downs is “buying high quality stocks that pay dividends that tend to be a lot more stable during environments like this,” said George Farra, the co-founder and principal of Woodley Farra Manion, which ranked No. 1 on CNBC’s list of the top 100 financial advisors in the U.S. for 2022.
On CNBC’s “Halftime Report,” Farra said he still favors a portfolio heavily weighted toward equities, even as other investors have shown renewed interest in a 60/40 investment strategy.
“Keeping as much as your portfolio in stocks as possible is a long-term winner,” he said. “Your prospects for reaching your goals in retirement are improved.”
His current top stock picks: Property/casualty insurance companies, including Chubb, Progressive and Arthur J. Gallagher.
“These three firms are really well positioned,” he said, and stand to perform well as the country recovers from Hurricane Ian.
Woodley Farra Manion has $1.4 billion under management and roughly 1,000 clients.
