U.S. equity markets will continue to provide solid investment opportunities over the next five years, Jeff Tory, chairman and partner, Pembroke Management Ltd., told attendees at his firm’s Outlook 2013 event in Toronto today.

And, tabletop instant-polling devices showed, that sentiment was shared by a majority of the high-rolling investors and investment managers who attended the event.

Tory, however, cautioned that making sense of opportunities in the U.S. required the careful eye of an experienced bottom-up stock picker with enough resources to thoroughly assess individual companies.

Bottom-up analysts are less interested in macro-economic factors, or trends within a given sector, and more in the fundamentals of individual companies. These analysts meet with CEOs, tour manufacturing facilities, and comb through every relevant aspect of a firm – from its books to its management structure to the political climate of the areas it operates in.

In addition to U.S. equities, polling responses from attendees who were asked where they’d put their money, showed a preference for emerging-market equities. Fixed income investments garnered the fewest votes.

When asked what they thought returns from the TSX would be over the next five years, most attendees said 5%-10%. Very few thought gains would be much higher or lower.

Attendees were also asked which of the following worried them most:

1. Rising interest rates

2. Slowing growth in China

3. Europe crashing

4. Political instability in the Middle East

5. Political instability in the U.S.

6. Terrorist attacks

The majority said the Middle East situation was their top concern.

Attendees were also asked in advance to relate the best piece of financial advice they ever received. One of the panelists, Richard Usher-Jones, vice president, Canso Investment Counsel Ltd., kicked the list off with this bit of wisdom: “You’ve got two eyes, two ears and one mouth – use them in that proportion.”

Other golden nuggets submitted by guests included:

“Don’t invest in anything you don’t understand.”

“When you buy mutual funds, make sure the manager has a sizable stake in it, too.”

“Don’t borrow if you don’t have to.”

And last, but not least:

“Don’t get divorced.”