SouthernSun Asset Management [profile] just added a new fund to its line-up.

The SouthernSun U.S. Equity Fund launched today. It utilizes a strategy that is similar to the SouthernSun SMID Cap equity separately managed account strategy.

Back in 2012, Michael Cook, CEO and chief investment oficer of SouthernSun, told MFWire.com that the Memphis firm was considering adding a second fund based on the SMID Cap SMA strategy.

The shop also manages the SouthernSun Small Cap Fund (SSSFX, SSSIX), introduced in 2003.

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Company Press Release

MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,SouthernSun Asset Management announced the launch of the SouthernSun U.S. Equity Fund (tickers: SSEFX, SSEIX, SSECX), with Founder, CEO, and CIO, Michael W. Cook, Sr. serving as the Portfolio Manager. The Fund is an open-end mutual fund that seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation by investing in a concentrated portfolio of 20-40 U.S. companies with market capitalizations similar to that of the Russell 2500 and Russell Midcap Indexes.

The Fund seeks to invest in companies that are both attractive at their current market value and ones which it believes have the potential for upside over the next 3-5 years. SouthernSun believes it is important to identify companies with uniquely-fitted management teams, which are capable of using financial flexibility to realize business growth opportunities and operational efficiencies that could translate into increased shareholder value. While all holdings in the Fund are U.S.-headquartered, the Fund currently exhibits more non-U.S. sales exposure than the Russell 2500 Index.

The Investment Team relies almost entirely on internally-conducted, proprietary research for all buy/sell decisions, idea generation, and valuation models and believes that this extensive research helps them to uncover investment opportunities which may be overlooked and/or misunderstood by the market. In addition to analyzing historical SEC filings, the Team believes management interviews, plant and facility tours, and triangulation with key suppliers, customers, and competitors can help them gain an "information advantage" in their research relative to competitors. Furthermore, the Team spends a significant amount of time traveling to visit with existing portfolio companies and research new investment ideas.

The Fund's strategy is quite similar to the SouthernSun SMID Cap equity separately managed account strategy, which has been managed by Michael Cook since 1997. He is supported by four research analysts, who collectively specialize in investing in long-only Small Cap and SMID Cap stocks. Mr. Cook said, "We believe that the Fund provides investors greater access to a long-running strategy while, at the same time, maintaining our focus on our core strengths and prudent allocation of internal resources."

The firm also manages the SouthernSun Small Cap Fund (tickers: SSSFX, SSSIX), introduced in 2003.

SouthernSun Asset Management, LLC, established in 1989 and headquartered in Memphis, TN, is a research-driven investment management firm specializing in U.S. Small Cap Equity and U.S. SMID Cap Equity investment strategies. The firm is a Registered Investment Advisor, founded by CEO and CIO Michael W. Cook. As of March 31, 2012, the firm managed approximately $2.5 billion in assets across various client channels and investment vehicles. For more information, please visit http://www.southernsunfunds.com.

 

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