Westwood Holdings Group [profile] just teamed up with a familiar institutional high yield asset manager. Today the Dallas-based mutual fund firm revealed the launch of its Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund (WHGHX), sub-advised by Greenwich, Connecticut-based SKY Harbor Capital Management.

This isn't Westwood and SKY Harbor's first partnership. Brian Casey, president and CEO of Westwood, noted that his firm has worked with SKY Harbor principals Tom Kelleher, Hannah Strasser and Anne Yobage for more than 14 years, as they PM "a traditional high yield fund offered to our private wealth clients."

Mark Dunbar, senior vice president of marketing at Westwood, explained the launch in the context of "today's market environment of historically low yields and high volatility."

"The Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund offers a potential solution for investors who are looking for yield but do not want added volatility."

The new WHG fund's institutional shares costs 90 basis points.

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Company Press Release

March 01, 2012 04:28 PM Eastern Time

Westwood Introduces Short Duration High Yield Fund for Income-Oriented Investors

DALLAS--Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. (NYSE: WHG) today announced the availability of the Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund (WHGHX). The new mutual fund will provide investors a unique opportunity to potentially capture high current income by investing principally in non-investment grade debt with expected maturities of three years or less. The primary goal of the strategy is to generate a high level of current income while also experiencing lower volatility than the broader high yield market. The fund is sub-advised by SKY Harbor Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser, based in Greenwich, CT.

“Today’s market environment of historically low yields and high volatility has been very challenging for investors seeking current income in their portfolios,” said Mark Dunbar, Westwood’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. “The Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund offers a potential solution for investors who are looking for yield but do not want added volatility.”

Brian Casey, Westwood’s President & CEO, commented, “We are very pleased to expand our relationship with the principals of SKY Harbor. We have worked with Hannah Strasser, Anne Yobage and Tom Kelleher for over fourteen years via their management of a traditional high yield fund offered to our private wealth clients. The SKY Harbor team shares our objective of delivering a quality strategy to clients through diverse market environments, and we look forward to growing this product with them.”

The Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund will be offered in an institutional share class with a total expense ratio capped at 0.90%. Fee waivers are contractual through February 28, 2013. The total annual operating expense would otherwise be 2.07%. The fund may be purchased directly from the fund or through third party mutual fund platforms.

About Westwood

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. manages investment assets and provides services for its clients through two subsidiaries, Westwood Management Corp. and Westwood Trust. Westwood Management Corp. is a registered investment advisor and provides investment advisory services to corporate pension funds, public retirement plans, endowments, foundations, the Westwood Funds, other mutual funds and clients of Westwood Trust. Westwood Trust provides trust services and participation in common trust funds that it sponsors to institutions and high net worth individuals. Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WHG.”

For more information on Westwood, please visit www.westwoodgroup.com.

For more information on the Westwood Funds, please contact Mark Dunbar at mdunbar@westwoodgroup.com or visit www.westwoodfunds.com.

About SKY Harbor

SKY Harbor Capital Management, LLC is an independent investment management firm focused on core high yield and short duration high yield strategies for domestic and international institutional investors. The senior members of the investment team — Hannah Strasser, Anne Yobage and Tom Kelleher — have two decades of experience investing together and have consistently applied their investment process through diverse market cycles.

Mutual fund investing involves risk including loss of principal. There is no assurance that the fund will meet its stated objectives. Bonds and bond funds will decrease in value as interest rates rise. High yield bonds are highly speculative and carry a greater degree of risk.

To determine if a Fund is an appropriate investment for you, carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund’s prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-877-FUND-WHG (877-386-3944) or by visiting our website at www.westwoodfunds.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

The Westwood Funds are distributed by SEI Investments Distribution Co. which is not affiliated with Westwood Management Corp., SKY Harbor Capital Management, LLC or any of their affiliates.

 

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