Aston Promotes From Within and Adds to Internal Sales Desk

CHICAGO, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aston Asset Management, LP (Aston) is pleased to announce that it has promoted Mark Kim, CFA to Managing Director, Southeast Region where he will be responsible for external sales. Aston has also hired Nick Heethuis as a Regional Account Manager supporting the Northeast Region.  Aston intends to add several new Regional Account Managers (internal sales professionals) to their staff over the next six months.

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"Aston's assets under management have tripled over the last three years to over $10.5 billion," said Joe Hays, Partner and National Sales Manager of Aston.  "Many diligence analysts, gatekeepers and chief investment officers of our clients hold CFA designations as well as other advanced degrees. We have built a sales team that is comfortable interacting at a high level with these professionals and Mark will be a valuable addition to that team."

Mr. Kim has been with Aston for seven years.  He is a graduate of the University of Illinois and has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation (CFA).  Mr. Heethuis previously worked at Genworth Financial and Jackson National. He is a graduate of Grand Valley State University in Michigan and is currently enrolled in the MBA program at Loyola University in Chicago.

Aston continues to see growth from its two largest domestic equity funds, the ASTON/Montag & Caldwell Growth Fund (MCGFX, MCGIX) and the ASTON/Fairpointe Mid Cap Fund (CHTTX, ABMIX).  Aston is also well positioned in the alternative space, which has experienced an explosion in demand.  The ASTON/Lake Partners LASSO Alternatives Fund (ALSNX, ALSOX), a multi-strategy alternative fund, has climbed to over $250 million, and will soon have a three year mutual fund track record.  The ASTON/M.D. Sass Enhanced Equity Fund (AMBEX, AMDSX), a hedged equity fund, was rated 5-stars by Morningstar for the 3-year period ended February 29, 2012 out of 72 Long-Short Equity Funds.  Last year, Aston launched three new mutual funds: the ASTON/River Road Long-Short Fund (ARLSX) on May 4, 2011, the ASTON/DoubleLine Core Plus Fixed Income Fund (ADBLX, ADLIX) on July 18, 2011, and the ASTON/Silvercrest Small Cap Fund (ASCTX, ACRTX) on December 27, 2011. 

To request more information contact Tony Kono at (973) 850-7323 or [email protected]

Morningstar Rating Criteria:  For each fund with at least a three-year history, Morningstar calculates a Morningstar Rating based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a fund's monthly performance (including the effects of sales charges, loads, and redemption fees), placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of funds in each category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating is derived from a weighted-average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. © Morningstar, Inc.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Aston Asset Management, LP

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Aston provides investment management services to the mutual fund and managed accounts markets by carefully selecting, monitoring and marketing experienced boutique investment managers, who seek to achieve consistent investment performance using disciplined investment processes and best in class business standards.  From the initial due diligence on an investment manager to the launching of a new Aston Fund, we take measured steps to ensure congruence between the requirements of Aston, the capabilities of the subadviser and the needs of clients.  As of February 29, 2012, Aston is the adviser to twenty-six mutual funds with total net assets of approximately $10.4 billion.  Our funds are distributed nationally through intermediaries including registered investment advisors, model platforms, broker-dealers, consultants, retirement platforms and wealth management teams.

Risk Disclosure: ASTON/Montag & Caldwell Growth Fund - Growth stocks are generally more sensitive to market moves and thus may be more volatile than other stocks.

ASTON/Fairpointe Mid Cap Fund - Mid-cap stocks are considered riskier than large-cap stocks due to greater potential volatility and less liquidity.

ASTON/Lake Partners LASSO Alternatives Fund - The Fund also incurs the risks of the underlying funds it invests in. Potential risks include the use of aggressive investment techniques and instruments such as options and futures, derivatives, commodities, credit-risk, and short-sales that taken alone are generally considered riskier than conventional market strategies. Use of these aggressive investment techniques may expose an underlying fund to potentially dramatic changes (losses) in the value of its portfolio. Short sales may involve the risk that an underlying fund will incur a loss by subsequently buying a security at a higher price than the price at which the fund previously sold the security short. Volatility is found by calculating the annualized standard deviation of daily change in price. Drawdown helps to determine the peak-to-trough decline during a specific period of an investment quoted as the percentage between the peak the trough. Stop loss guidelines are designed to limit an investor's loss on a security position. It is a practice of selling a security when it reaches a certain price.

The ASTON/M.D. Sass Enhanced Equity Fund - By selling covered call options, the Fund limits its opportunity to profit from an increase in the price of the underlying stock above the exercise price, but continues to bear the risk of a decline in the stock. A liquid market may not exist for options held by the Fund. If the Fund is not able to close out an options transaction, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or is exercised. While the Fund receives premiums for writing the call options, the price it realizes from the exercise of an option could be substantially below a stock's current market price. Premiums from the Fund's sale of call options typically will result in short-term capital gain taxes, making it ill-suited for investors seeking a tax efficient investment. The use of derivatives by the Fund to hedge risk may reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements. There is no guarantee that derivatives, to the extent employed, will have the intended effect, and their use could cause lower returns or even losses to the Fund.

The ASTON/River Road Long-Short Fund - Short sales may involve the risk that the fund will incur a loss by subsequently buying a security at a higher price than the price at which the fund previously sold the security short. A loss incurred on a short sale results from increases in the value of the security; losses on a short sale are theoretically unlimited. Investing in exchange traded and closed end funds are subject to additional risk that shares of the underlying fund may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value per share. Convertible preferred securities are subject to the risks of equity securities and fixed income securities. Derivatives can be highly volatile and involve risk in addition to the risk of the underlying reference security. Investing in the securities of foreign issuers involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies.

The ASTON/DoubleLine Core Plus Fixed Income Fund- Bond funds are subject to interest-rate and credit risk similar to individual bonds. As interest rates rise or credit quality suffers, an investor is susceptible to loss of principal.

The ASTON/Silvercrest Small Cap Fund - Small and mid-cap stocks are considered riskier than large-cap stocks due to greater potential volatility and less liquidity. Value investing often involves buying the stocks of companies that are currently out of favor that may decline further. Securities of REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties and by defaults by borrowers or tenants.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Aston Funds carefully before investing. Please call 800 597-9704 for a preliminary prospectus or a summary prospectus which contains this and other information about the Fund. Read it carefully before you invest or send money.

Aston Funds are distributed by BNY Mellon Distributors Inc.

SOURCE Aston Asset Management, LP