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Proudly Serving Clients Since 1977

First Wilshire has been serving high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors since 1977. Guided by the value investing philosophy, we seek to identify companies with great prospects at an attractive price. Our Portfolio Managers are committed to uncovering such companies and have the patience to hold them until their value is recognized. Our focus on small-cap companies is the most distinguishing characteristic of our firm. The dedication to in-depth, internally-generated research has allowed First Wilshire to attract a loyal following of like-minded professionals and investors.

Small-Cap Focus

First Wilshire has focused on small-cap investing since 1977. This is the most distinguishing characteristic of our firm.

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Investment Philosophy

Guided by the value investing philosophy, we seek to identify companies with great prospects at an attractive price. Our Portfolio Managers are committed to uncovering such companies and have the patience to hold them until their value is recognized.

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Client Service

Our dedication to offering personalized client service, as well as providing access to Portfolio Managers, has allowed First Wilshire to enjoy long-term client relationships.

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About Us

We are Currently Accepting New Clients

Founded in 1977 and based in Pasadena, California, First Wilshire Securities Management is an employee-owned boutique investment manager serving both institutional and individual clients. Our mission is to be a top-performing investment manager, operating as a family-like company that contributes to the well-being of our clients and our employees.

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Our Team

First Wilshire has a highly experienced team: The average tenure of our staff is 16 years, and the average tenure for our Portfolio Managers is 23 years. Click here for more.

Howard Lu, CFA®, CFP®

President & CEO
Portfolio Manager

Scott Hood, CFA®, CFP®

Chairman
Portfolio Manager

Bill Caton, CFA®, CFP®

Head of Trading
Portfolio Manager

Nicole Green

Chief Operating Officer
Chief Compliance Officer

We are dedicated to the value investing proposition and to providing like-minded investors with an opportunity for above-market returns.

Celebrating 45 Years of Disciplined Value Investing

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First Wilshire has been serving high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors since 1977. Guided by the value investing philosophy, we seek to identify companies with great prospects at an attractive price.

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Howard Lu, CFA®, CFP®

President & CEO
Portfolio Manager

Howard joined First Wilshire in 2004 as a research analyst, was promoted to Portfolio Manager in 2013, and became President and CEO in 2019. Prior to joining First Wilshire, he worked as an engineer for Intel Corporation and two technology startups in Silicon Valley. Howard is a Chartered Financial Analyst® and a member of the CFA Institute. He is also a CFP® professional. Howard received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Howard is fluent in Mandarin and Taiwanese.

Scott Hood, CFA®, CFP®

Chairman
Portfolio Manager

Scott joined First Wilshire as an analyst in 1993, was promoted to CEO in 2001, and became Chairman in 2019. Previously he worked as a supervisory analyst with Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong. Scott is a Chartered Financial Analyst® and a member of the CFA Institute. He is also a CFP® professional. He serves as a board member of The Mount Wilson Observatory and The Sierra Madre Mountain Conservancy. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science from The Stern School of Business at New York University. 

Bill Caton, CFA®, CFP®

Head of Trading
Portfolio Manager

Bill joined First Wilshire’s internship program in 1997 and became a research analyst in 1998. He was promoted to Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading in 2019. Bill is a Chartered Financial Analyst® and a member of the CFA Institute. He is also a CFP® professional. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology with a specialization in Business Administration from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Nicole Green

Chief Operating Officer
Chief Compliance Officer

Nicole joined First Wilshire as Vice President of Administration in 2017, was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2018, and was designated as Chief Compliance Officer in 2020. Prior to joining First Wilshire, Nicole was a principal and head of investment operations at Ares Management. She is skilled in building and leading global operations teams, continuously improving productivity and efficiency, and mitigating risks. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The George Washington University.