Wichita, KS Office

Central States Capital Markets provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm typically works with high-net-worth individuals and families and requires a written advisory agreement and the use of a qualified custodian for client assets.

The firm’s investment approach is value oriented, using fundamental analysis supplemented by technical tools and economic research, with portfolios generally held for longer-term horizons and rebalanced as market conditions or client needs change. Central States is dual-registered as an investment adviser and a broker-dealer and maintains a contractual performance-fee option for certain equity income strategies, although it has not historically implemented performance-based accounts.

Noteworthy aspects include the firm’s active broker-dealer affiliate role, including municipal underwriting, and the fact that senior management and some staff devote a substantial portion of their time to broker-dealer activities, a dynamic the firm discloses and addresses through policies and trade practices. The firm also discloses a history of regulatory actions and settlements related to municipal advisory and reporting matters, and it operates with a relatively concentrated client base.