José Marques, APR
Media Relations Manager
513.629.1448
Mailing Address:
Western & Southern Financial Group
Media Relations
Mail Station 90
400 Broadway Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Diane E. Planck
Senior Media Relations Specialist (513) 629-1511
Fort Washington’s High Yield Strategy Marks 15 Years of Consistent Outperformance
CINCINNATI — August 3, 2009 — Since its inception 15 years ago on July 1, 1994, Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.’s High Yield Fixed Income strategy has consistently outperformed its benchmark, the Merrill Lynch High Yield Cash Pay Index.
"Our long-term track record is consistent with the strategy’s objective to outperform over a full market cycle,” said Brendan M. White, CFA, senior portfolio manager and managing director of the strategy. “Our approach is to protect capital for our clients during weak markets yet still capture upside in moderate and strong high yield markets," said White, who has been guiding Fort Washington’s High Yield team since the firm launched the strategy.
In addition to beating the strategy’s benchmark over the long term for the past 15 years (as of June 30, 2009), Fort Washington’s High Yield strategy has consistently ranked well compared with its peers1. As of June 30, 2009, after the market became quite distressed, the strategy was ranked a top-quartile performer when measured over five- and 10-year periods. Moreover, during the most recent one- and three-year periods, the strategy achieved near top-decile performance. "We manage risk by emphasizing less volatile sectors and by purchasing credits where we believe we are being appropriately compensated for the risk assumed. This approach really helped in the past few years as risk premiums significantly increased," said White.
Along with White, Fort Washington’s High Yield investment team comprises longtime Fort Washington veteran Roger M. Lanham, CFA, and five senior credit analysts – William H. Bunn, CFA; Bernard M. Casey, CFA; Timothy J. Jossart, CFA; Anthony L. Longi, Jr.; and J. Kevin Seagraves, CFA. Combined, the team averages 20 years of experience investing in the corporate and high yield fixed income sectors.
"Having managed Fort Washington’s High Yield Fixed Income strategy from the moment it was created, the team’s leadership brings a high degree of continuity and depth to the strategy — something highly crucial to the strategy’s consistent long-term track record," said Maribeth S. Rahe, chief executive officer of Fort Washington.
As of June 30, 2009, Fort Washington managed $2.1 billion of assets under its High Yield Fixed Income strategy.
¹ Source: eVestment Alliance LLC, eASE Analytics; past performance is not indicative of future results.
About Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.
Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. (Fort Washington) founded in May 1990, is the money
management and primary investment arm of Western & Southern Financial Group with more than $27.3
billion in assets.* Fort Washington is a registered investment advisor with expertise in Fixed Income,
Public Equity and Private Equity. Clients include institutions and high-net-worth individuals throughout the
country. For more information, visit FortWashington.com.
*As of 6/30/09, does not include Fort Washington Capital Partners Group, a division of Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc., with approximately $1.8 billion in commitments under management.
About Western & Southern Financial Group
Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern), a Fortune 500 company, is a Cincinnati based
diversified family of financial services companies with assets owned, managed and under our care
in excess of $42 billion as of Dec. 31, 2008. Based on Standard & Poor’s ratings, Western & Southern is
one of the nine highest-rated life insurance groups in the world. For more information, visit
www.westernsouthern.com. Western & Southern is the title sponsor of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women’s Open tennis tournaments.
Ratings refer to the financial strength of the insurance company and not to the safety, stability or performance of any investment product.
one of the eight highest-rated life insurance groups
in the world based on Standard & Poor's AA+ Very Strong rating.
Rating current as of November 30, 2010.