What Sterling Capital Management does

Sterling Capital Management LLC is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based SEC-registered investment adviser founded in 1970, managing $75 billion in combined Assets Under Management and Assets Under Advisement as of March 31, 2026. The firm is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc., itself part of Canada's Desjardins Group, and operates with a team of 192 investment professionals, client service, and administrative staff. It provides customized investment portfolios, asset allocation analysis, model portfolios, and outsourced Chief Investment Officer services to three primary investor segments: Financial Professionals, Institutional Investors (pension funds, endowments, foundations), and affluent Individual Investors.

The firm's core technology stack is built around traditional portfolio management and asset allocation capabilities, augmented by a newer AI-augmented product line. In December 2025, Sterling launched the Sterling Capital Hedged Equity Premium Income ETF (SCEP), an actively managed ETF that uses artificial intelligence models (developed since 2018 by sub-adviser Guardian Capital) to forecast earnings growth, dividend growth, and associated probabilities for stock selection, paired with human oversight for portfolio construction and a dynamic options overlay writing covered calls and protective puts. SCEP manages $214.1 million in assets at a 0.65% management fee. The remaining AUM is managed through Sterling's longstanding customized portfolio and model portfolio advisory mandates.

Sterling generates revenue primarily through recurring management and advisory fees on assets under management and advisement, with pricing that is largely quote-based and not publicly disclosed except for the SCEP ETF. The go-to-market motion combines direct relationship-based distribution to affluent individuals and institutions with a horizontal segmentation across financial professionals, institutional investors, and individual investors, and a parallel product-led growth channel via the SCEP ETF distributed through traditional investment channels. The firm is private, with no public listing, and is integrated into Desjardins Group's broader global asset management operations, which include the pending $1.67 billion acquisition of Guardian Capital announced in October 2025.

Name

Sterling Capital Management

Legal name

Sterling Capital Management LLC

Website

https://sterling-capital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sterling Capital Management is a Charlotte-based SEC-registered investment adviser founded in 1970, managing $75B in AUM+AUA for financial professionals, institutional investors, and affluent individuals through customized portfolios, model portfolios, and the AI-augmented SCEP ETF.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

Keywords

• Investment management
• Asset management
• Portfolio management
• Wealth advisory
• Institutional investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Services: Registered investment adviser providing customized investment portfolios and asset allocation analysis to affluent individuals and businesses. Revenue generated through management fees on Assets Under Management.
2. ETF Management Fees: Actively managed ETF product (SCEP) with 0.65% management fee, currently managing $214.1 million in assets

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sterling Capital Management LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that delivers customized investment management services to financial professionals, institutional investors, and individual investors. The firm provides tailored investment portfolios, asset allocation analysis, and actively managed ETF products (notably SCEP), combining AI-powered stock selection with human portfolio manager oversight to serve diverse client segments.

Product overview

Sterling Capital Management offers customized investment portfolios, asset allocation analysis, and model portfolio advisory services to affluent individuals and businesses. The company manages $75 billion in AUM+AUA as of March 2026. Their product suite includes the Sterling Capital Hedged Equity Premium Income ETF (SCEP), a hedge fund-style actively managed ETF that combines AI-driven stock selection with human portfolio construction, targeting tax-efficient monthly income and risk-adjusted returns through covered call writing and protective put strategies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Customized Investment Portfolios Tailored investment portfolios designed to meet the specific objectives, risk profiles, and constraints of financial professionals and institutional investors.
• Asset Allocation Analysis Strategic asset allocation analysis and ongoing portfolio construction support provided to financial professionals and institutional clients.
• Sterling Capital Hedged Equity Premium Income ETF (SCEP) Actively managed ETF that delivers hedged equity premium income through AI-driven stock selection combined with human portfolio manager oversight and a dynamic options overlay strategy, available to individual investors and advisors.
• Investment Advisory Services Comprehensive investment advisory services covering portfolio construction, ongoing management, and reporting for financial professionals, institutional investors, and individual investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivers tax-efficient monthly income through covered call strategies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Guardian CapitalcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2025Toronto-based sub-adviser for the Sterling Capital Hedged Equity Premium Income ETF (SCEP). Guardian Capital employs AI models developed since 2018 to forecast earnings growth, dividend growth, and associated probabilities for stock selection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Manning & Napier: Independent, employee-owned SEC-registered investment adviser offering customized portfolios, mutual funds, and unified managed accounts to individuals, advisors, and institutions. Highly comparable to Sterling Capital in mandate mix, distribution through financial professionals, and mid-sized AUM scale.
• Calamos Asset Management: Active asset manager known for convertible, hedged-equity, and covered-call strategies, including listed ETFs (e.g., JPEI). Closely comparable to Sterling on the hedged-equity / covered-call product strategy and ETF distribution model.
• Victory Capital: Multi-franchise active asset manager with a multi-affiliate model serving financial intermediaries, institutional, and retail channels. Comparable to Sterling Capital's three-segment distribution (financial professionals, institutions, individuals) and active equity emphasis.
• Virtus Investment Partners: Multi-affiliate manager offering actively managed mutual funds, ETFs, and institutional strategies distributed through intermediaries. Comparable in active-equity tilt, intermediary-first distribution, and product-line breadth.
• Cohen & Steers: Specialist active manager focused on real-asset and income-oriented equity strategies, distributed to institutions and through financial intermediaries. Comparable in active specialization, intermediary distribution, and institutional mandate orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Federated Hermes: Large, diversified active asset and wealth manager with significant equity, fixed income, and money-market AUM distributed globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent in active management with overlapping distribution through financial professionals and institutions.
• American Century Investments: Large private, founder-influenced active asset manager offering mutual funds, ETFs, sub-advisory, and institutional mandates. Comparable in private ownership structure, active management style, and broad intermediary/institutional channel mix.
• Wellington Management: Large private global active manager with deep institutional and intermediary relationships. Comparable as a private, large-scale active manager serving institutions and financial professionals.
• Eaton Vance (Morgan Stanley Investment Management): Historically a leader in active equity, fixed income, and parametric/options-overlay strategies, now part of Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Comparable in active management breadth and options-overlay strategies relevant to Sterling's SCEP fund.
• T. Rowe Price: Large, publicly traded global asset manager with active equity, multi-asset, and retirement offerings distributed through advisors, institutions, and direct retail. Comparable in serving all three of Sterling's segments — financial professionals, institutions, and individuals — with active strategies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sterlingcapitalmanagement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments10 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sterling Capital Management