ASTON/Optimum Mid Cap Fund Earns 2011 Lipper Fund Awards for Excellence

CHICAGO, April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aston Asset Management, LP (Aston), is pleased to announce the ASTON/Optimum Mid Cap Fund received two 2011 Lipper Best Fund Awards for the period ending December 31, 2010.  The I Class (ABMIX) was selected for the 5-year period out of 264 Mid-Cap Core Funds, and the N Class (CHTTX) was selected for the 10-year period out of 143 Mid-Cap Core Funds.  The Fund was recognized for demonstrating consistently strong risk-adjusted returns compared with its peers.

"We are delighted to receive the Lipper Fund Award," said Stuart D. Bilton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aston. "It serves as a testament to the Fund's outstanding investment management team, Thyra E. Zerhusen, Marie L. Lorden and Mary L. Pierson."

The Lipper Fund Awards rewards consistent outperformance of individual funds and of fund companies as part of the Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence.

The ASTON/Optimum Mid Cap Fund invests in mid-sized companies with strong franchises that are priced inefficiently relative to their earnings growth potential. The objective is to seek long-term total return through capital appreciation by investing primarily in common and preferred stocks, and convertible securities.

"Aston carefully selects experienced investment managers who seek to achieve consistent investment performance using disciplined investment processes and best-in-class business standards," Bilton added. "It is a great honor to have received the Lipper Fund Award on behalf of our portfolio managers Thyra Zerhusen, Marie Lorden and Mary Pierson."

For more information about Aston, please contact Tony Kono at 973-732-3521 or [email protected].

About Aston Asset Management, LP

Aston Asset Management, LP, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a diversified investment management firm. Aston offers investment management services to the mutual fund and separately managed account markets. Aston is the advisor to twenty-four mutual funds with total net assets of approximately $9 billion as of March 31, 2011.  For more information on the funds managed by Aston please call 800-597-9704 or visit www.astonfunds.com.

In calculating the awards, Lipper considered all open-end funds registered for sale in the United States in qualifying classifications with at least 36 months of performance history as of the end of the calendar year. Awards were given to funds with a 3-, 5- and 10-year history as at the end of the evaluation year in equity, bond and mixed-asset Lipper U.S. Classifications with at least ten distinct portfolios. Fund awards were calculated using Lipper's Consistent Return score. A more detailed Fund Awards Methodology can be found at excellence.thomsonreuters.com/Lipper.

The Lipper Awards honor the funds, hedge funds, and fund management firms that have delivered stronger and more consistent performance than their peers.  Lipper's proprietary fund rating methodology is used to determine the winners.  This quantitative approach ensures that the Lipper Awards are performance-based and objective.

Note: Mid-cap stocks are considered riskier than large-cap stocks due to greater potential volatility and less liquidity.  Parameters set by the subadviser are not a fundamental policy of the Fund and are subject to change at any time.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Before investing, carefully consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Please call 800 992-8151 for a prospectus containing this and other information. Read it carefully before investing.  Aston Funds are distributed by BNY Mellon Distributors Inc.

Contact: Tony Kono
JCPR
973-732-3521
[email protected]

SOURCE Aston Asset Management, LP