ALPS Fund Family Keeps Growing With RiverFront Adoption

DENVER, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- ALPS Advisors, Inc. (ALPS), a leading provider of advisory solutions to the investment management industry, has announced that shareholders of the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund have approved the reorganization of the Fund into the ALPS-sponsored Financial Investors Trust.

The ALPS fund will effectively assume the assets of the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund currently offered as a series of Baird Funds, Inc. following the close of business Friday, September 24. The predecessor fund has the same sub-adviser, investment objective, and investment strategy as the new ALPS offering. ALPS had previously registered five share classes, including Investor Class and L Class shares, to reflect the expected fund 'adoption'.

In August, ALPS partnered with RiverFront Investment Group on the launch of the RiverFront Global Allocation Series. The RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund will round out the Series that currently offers:

• RiverFront Moderate Growth Fund,
• RiverFront Long-Term Growth & Income Fund, and
• RiverFront Moderate Growth & Income Fund.

"We've been looking forward to the arrival of the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund to the ALPS lineup," said Corey Dillon, Senior Vice President and Director of Advisory Services for ALPS Advisors, Inc. "The marketplace has enthusiastically embraced the RiverFront investment approach, and we're eager to go forward with the full Global Allocation Series."  

Richmond, Va.-based RiverFront was formed in April 2008 by a team of investment professionals from Wachovia Securities, including former chief investment officer Michael Jones, former chief investment strategist, Rod Smyth, former chief equity strategist Doug Sandler, and Pete Quinn, former president of the Private Client Group. Messrs. Jones, Smyth, and Sandler, along with Tim Anderson, RiverFront's Chief Fixed Income Officer, will serve as co-portfolio managers for the Fund.

The $55 million RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund was launched in October 2008 with an objective of long-term capital appreciation. The portfolio is built around a strategic and tactical global allocation that allocates investments to large-, small-, and mid-cap stocks, international securities, including emerging markets, and other investments. The Fund, similar to all RiverFront-managed offerings, will rely on the firm's proprietary Price Matters™ optimization process for global security selection.

"We're a portfolio management team that's worked together for many years, and we're proud of the job RiverFront has done so far in meeting the needs of advisors and their clients," said Michael Jones, CIO of RiverFront. "We're particularly excited about this partnership with ALPS, and we look forward to success from our combined efforts."

The RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund will be offered in multiple share classes covering institutional and retail audiences and will be available on most mutual fund platforms and through financial intermediaries.

About ALPS Advisors, Inc.

ALPS Advisors, Inc. conducts business across three primary business lines: Asset Servicing, Asset Gathering, and Asset Management. Headquartered in Denver with offices in Boston, New York, and Seattle, ALPS has been providing various services to the mutual fund industry for nearly 25 years. As of June 30, 2010, the firm manages more than $1.5 billion in assets and provides servicing to more than $220 billion in client assets. For more information about ALPS and the services available, visit www.alpsinc.com, and for additional information about ALPS products, visit www.alpsfunds.com.

About RiverFront Investment Group, LLC

RiverFront Investment Group, LLC is an independent investment advisor located in Richmond Virginia. Majority owned by its employees, the firm provides asset management, investment advice, and leading-edge market insights. RiverFront's minority investors include Robert W. Baird & Co. and Private Advisors. For more information, visit www.riverfrontig.com.

An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The Prospectus contains this and other information. For more complete information about the RiverFront Long-Term Growth Fund or to obtain a Prospectus, call (866) 759-5679. Please read the Prospectus.

An investment in the Fund involves risk, including loss of principal.

The performance of the Fund relative to its benchmark will depend largely on the decisions of the RiverFront Investment Group, LLC (the "Sub- Adviser" or "RiverFront") as to strategic asset allocation and tactical adjustments made to the asset allocation. At times, RiverFront's judgments as to the asset classes in which the Fund should invest may prove to be wrong, as some asset classes may perform worse than others or the equity markets generally from time to time or for extended periods of time. The performance of the Fund is related to the economic sectors that RiverFront may choose to emphasize or deemphasize from time to time, as well as to the individual securities selected by RiverFront within those sectors. The investment returns for particular economic sectors will fluctuate and may be lower than other sectors. In addition, the individual securities chosen for investment within a particular sector may underperform other securities within that same sector. Certain stocks selected for the Fund's portfolio may decline in value more than the overall stock markets. The RiverFront Global Allocation Series is not suitable for all investors. Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

The Funds are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc.

Corey Dillon and Tom Carter are Registered Representatives of ALPS Distributors, Inc.

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SOURCE ALPS Advisors, Inc.