Granite Investment Advisors Launches Actively Managed Equity Value Fund

January 5, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Granite Investment Advisors introduced The Granite Value Fund, an actively managed equity value fund. 
 

The Granite Value Fund invests primarily in mid- to large-capitalization equity securities of U.S. and foreign companies. The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation by investing in equity securities of approximately 40 companies that the adviser thinks are undervalued.

In selecting portfolio securities for the Fund, Granite will look for companies that have a unique competitive advantage; whose business models are simple and can be understood; have management teams the adviser thinks are trustworthy; have low debt and are not dependent upon borrowed money to conduct daily operations; and have the ability to generate significant free cash flow over a market cycle.

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“Over the years we have had many prospective clients whose investment assets were not sizeable enough to be managed effectively in our separate account strategies,” said Scott Schermerhorn, chief investment officer of Granite Investment Advisors and the senior portfolio manager for the Fund. “The Granite Value Fund will be concentrated in those companies that we know extremely well and that exhibit high or improving returns on capital.”

Tim Lesko, a principal of the firm and senior member of the investment team, will also manage the Fund.

Investors can purchase the Fund directly or through brokerage platforms. The minimum initial investment for taxable accounts is $10,000 and $5,000 for non-taxable accounts.  

Illinois Governor Signs Pension Bill Curbing Abuses

January 5, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed into law pension reforms aimed at fixing some loopholes in the system.

The law, which takes effect immediately, aims to end the practice of so-called double dipping for public employees. According to the Associated Press, in some cases, employees took leaves to work for their unions, but continued to build benefits in government pension systems based on union pay.  

The law also closes a loophole made possible by a 2007 law that allowed two lobbyists for the Illinois Federation of Teachers to qualify for teachers’ retirement benefits by spending a single day teaching, the news report said.

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