"More important, we want companies with strong earnings growth in the next three to five years."
A. There is a real chance we won't get strong earnings growth next year.
If they get access to capital, small companies' earnings growth can be pretty strong.
Sometimes, however, the market gets ahead of overall earnings growth.
That would bring earnings growth well below the 11 percent average in the 1990's.
"We are looking at this thing as a major source of earnings growth for the next five years," he said.
He sees earnings growth of 20 percent a year, on average, over three years.
In part, the share price has been driven by strong earnings growth.
That is why he and others expect earnings growth to slow next year.
But its sales and earnings growth have picked up in the last two years.
