Touchstone Appoints Rockefeller & Co. as Sub-Advisor to Touchstone Sustainability and Impact Equity Fund

CINCINNATI, July 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Touchstone Investments announced that Rockefeller & Co.'s heritage of sustainable and responsible investing is now available through the Touchstone Sustainability and Impact Equity Fund. This Fund will provide broader access to a cutting edge strategy managed by seasoned practitioners in the sustainable space. 

"Sustainable investing has come of age. Recent studies suggest that companies that practice solid ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles tend to generate significant shareholder value. We are delighted to bring a manager to market, such as Rockefeller, with the breadth of experience and expertise to uncover those opportunities," said Steven M. Graziano, president of Touchstone Investments. "Rockefeller & Co. has been a leader in sustainable investing for decades and we look forward to working with them to put this investment approach to work for our clients. Morgan Stanley has played a pivotal role in bringing this initiative together."

"This initiative, based on significant effort working together, reflects Morgan Stanley's commitment to accelerating the adoption of sustainable investing," said Hilary Irby, Head of Morgan Stanley's Investing with Impact Initiative. "As the field continues its rapid expansion, we remain focused on delivering innovative solutions to our clients and creating capacity in the marketplace. Working with such strong brands as Touchstone Investments and Rockefeller & Co. exemplifies that goal."

As sub-advisor, Rockefeller & Co. selects investments for the Fund based on an evaluation not only of a company's financial condition, but also its ESG practices. The Fund's investment process begins with the creation of a core global equity portfolio through an assessment of industry and company prospects, and the development of investment themes, in an effort to identify securities selling at compelling discounts to their fair value. Rockefeller & Co. then focuses its evaluation on the sustainability issues associated with an individual company's businesses and the risks that arise from that business model. This approach to investing and involvement is also designed to encourage company management to improve business practices for the betterment of stakeholders. The major ESG dimensions are Governance, Products and Services, Work Place Issues, Environment, Community and Social Change.  

"At Rockefeller & Co. we believe that our process of integrating both sustainability and financial research results in more informed investment decisions," said David Harris, Chief Investment Officer of Rockefeller & Co. and co-portfolio manager on the Touchstone Sustainability and Impact Equity Fund. "We believe that companies that employ the best practices of long term sustainability tend to deliver better results for stakeholders."

The Touchstone Sustainability and Impact Equity Fund was previously known as the Touchstone Large Cap Growth Fund. With the appointment of Rockefeller & Co. as sub-advisor, the Fund's investment policy was revised leading to the selection of a new name.  

About Touchstone Investments
Touchstone Investments is a mutual fund company committed to providing investors with access to institutional asset managers who act in a sub-advisory capacity. Managed by sub-advisors with high conviction, concentrated portfolios, Touchstone's entire equity fund lineup is composed of high Active Share funds which means their holdings are highly differentiated from their benchmarks. Touchstone's sub-advisor selection and monitoring approach is built upon the conviction that an asset manager's organizational stability, quality of its personnel, adherence to its investment discipline and infrastructure represent the elements of repeatable, value-added performance results over time. This philosophy has resulted in a diverse but focused product offering that gives investors a full breadth of investment options across styles and asset classes. The Touchstone Funds are advised by Touchstone Advisors, Inc., a registered investment advisor, and are distributed nationally through intermediaries including broker-dealers, financial planners and institutions by Touchstone Securities, Inc., a registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Touchstone, Touchstone Funds and Touchstone Investments are federal service mark registrations and applications owned by IFS Financial Services, Inc. Touchstone Securities, Inc., Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and IFS Financial Services, Inc. are members of Western & Southern Financial Group. For more information, please visit www.TouchstoneInvestments.com.

About Rockefeller & Co.
Rockefeller & Co., Inc. ("Rockefeller & Co.") is a global asset management and investment advisory firm with responsibility for approximately $9.9 billion in net assets under management as of March 31, 2015. Headquartered in New York City, Rockefeller & Co. traces its history to 1882 when John D. Rockefeller established an office to manage the Rockefeller Family's personal and philanthropic interests. Rockefeller & Co. was incorporated in 1979 and registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 1980 as an investment adviser. Today, Rockefeller & Co. provides investment management services and wealth advice to institutions, foundations and endowments, non-profits, individuals, trusts and families. The Fund's investment strategy is managed by three portfolio managers and supported by a team of financial analysts and dedicated sustainability and impact analysts.

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SOURCE Touchstone Investments