Barksdale Investment Management

What Barksdale Investment Management does

Barksdale Investment Management is an independent, 100% employee-owned Registered Investment Advisor founded in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee, that provides customized fixed income and equity separately managed accounts (SMAs) to institutional investors. The firm manages $3.4B in assets across investment grade fixed income, core plus, short duration, high yield, credit only, LDI, enhanced cash, and equity strategies, with each portfolio constructed from the client's Investment Policy Statement rather than from off-the-shelf model portfolios. Operations are anchored by a CFA-heavy senior team including CIO Chuck Webb (former CIO of the $16B Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System), Director of Fixed Income Andrew Forsyth (formerly of BNP Paribas, Moody's, and Franklin Templeton), and Director of Research Ellen Carr (formerly of Capital Group / American Funds). The firm is also a WBENC-certified Women's Business Enterprise, having transitioned to 51% women ownership in 2019 and earning national certification in 2021.

The firm's investment process combines a proprietary Macro Scorecard for quantitative economic inputs with top-down sector allocation and bottom-up fundamental credit and MBS research. Distribution is exclusively direct: senior portfolio managers engage institutional prospects — foundations, endowments, state and local government entities, insurance companies, Taft-Hartley plans, non-profit healthcare systems, and associations — through relationship-based sales, with no intermediaries, broker/dealers, or marketplace channels. Revenue is generated solely from portfolio management fees on a fee-only basis, with no investment banking or broker/dealer income, aligning the firm's incentives with client outcomes. The firm reports GIPS compliance and operates under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 from a single Nashville headquarters.

Name

Barksdale Investment Management

Legal name

Barksdale Investment Management

Website

https://barksdaleim.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barksdale Investment Management is an independent, 100% employee-owned Registered Investment Advisor in Nashville that provides customized fixed income and equity separately managed accounts to foundations, endowments, governments, insurance companies, and other institutional clients, managing $3.4B in assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Institutional Investment Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Separate Accounts & SMAs (Mandates) (FSAAAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Sector / Total Return Fixed Income (FSAAAHAJ), Multi-Asset Solutions for Institutional (Pensions/Endowments/Sovereigns) (FSAAAJAJ)

Keywords

• Institutional asset management
• Fixed income management
• Separately managed accounts
• Investment advisory services
• Portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Portfolio Management Fees: Barksdale's sole source of income is derived from portfolio management fees. The firm operates as a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor and does not engage in investment banking or broker/dealer services, ensuring aligned incentives with clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Barksdale Investment Management provides customized fixed income and equity management strategies through separately managed accounts (SMAs) built from each client's Investment Policy Statement rather than predetermined master portfolios. The firm actively manages institutional capital across investment grade, core plus, short duration high yield, credit only, LDI, enhanced cash, diversified value equity, and international deep value strategies, emphasizing capital preservation, risk diffusion, and adherence to client-specific guidelines, screens, and statutory regulations.

Product overview

Barksdale Investment Management offers a unified investment management platform providing customized fixed income and equity management strategies for institutional investors. The core offering consists of separately managed accounts (SMAs) that are tailored to each client's Investment Policy Statement rather than using predetermined master portfolios or mutual funds. Fixed income strategies include Investment Grade (US Aggregate, Intermediate Government/Credit, Short Duration, Cash Management), Core Plus, Short Duration High Yield, and Credit Only approaches. Equity capabilities encompass Diversified Value Equity and International Deep Value strategies. Additional services include Balanced Portfolio Management, LDI, and Enhanced Cash strategies. All portfolios are actively managed with a disciplined investment process combining macro scorecard analysis, top-down sector allocation, and bottom-up fundamental credit research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Grade Fixed Income
• Core Plus Fixed Income
• Short Duration High Yield
• Credit Only Fixed Income
• Customizable Investment Grade Solutions
• Diversified Value Equity Strategy
• International Deep Value Strategy
• Balanced Portfolio Management
• LDI (Liability-Driven Investment)
• Enhanced Cash Portfolio Management

Quantifiable outcome

• $3.4B in assets under management across multiple strategies as of December 31, 2025.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RMB Capital: Multi-affiliate boutique investment manager with institutional fixed income, equity, and alternative strategies. Comparable in boutique scale and customized SMA offerings for institutional clients.
• Manning & Napier: Boutique investment manager offering customized fixed income and equity strategies for institutional and individual clients. Comparable in multi-strategy lineup and IPS-driven customization approach.
• Income Research + Management: Fee-only institutional fixed income manager with deep SMA focus and similar client base of foundations, endowments, and corporate pensions. Highly comparable in business model, customization approach, and boutique scale.
• Angeles Investments: Small institutional asset manager focused on customized fixed income and equity strategies. Comparable in boutique scale, IPS-driven customization, and institutional client focus.
• Boston Common Asset Management: Specialist boutique institutional manager offering customized equity and fixed income mandates. Comparable in customization-driven SMA approach for endowments, foundations, and pension plans.
• Bailard Inc. Employee-owned boutique RIA offering institutional fixed income, equity, and ESG strategies. Comparable in employee-ownership structure, fee-only model, and customized SMA approach for institutional clients.
• Sage Advisory: Employee-owned institutional fixed income manager serving endowments, foundations, and pension plans. Comparable in boutique scale, SMA customization, and active fixed income process focus.

Broad incumbents

• Fiera Capital: Multi-affiliate institutional asset manager with fixed income, equity, and alternative strategies. Overlapping product capabilities and client base, but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Allspring Global Investments: Large diversified institutional asset manager with extensive fixed income and equity capabilities. Overlapping with Barksdale in core fixed income SMAs, but at much greater scale and product breadth.
• Calvert (Morgan Stanley Investment Management): Mission-driven institutional manager offering fixed income and equity strategies with a focus on ESG and diversity. Comparable in institutional focus and customization, though operating at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Barksdale Investment Management