MutualFundWire.com: AdvisorShares Taps a Sub-Advisor for its Active ETF-of-ETFs

MutualFundWire.com

The insiders' edge for 40 Act industry executives!
an InvestmentWires' Publication

Thursday, March 12, 2009

AdvisorShares Taps a Sub-Advisor for its Active ETF-of-ETFs

AdvisorShares Investments turned to HS Dent to sub-advise its active ETF-of-ETFs. Bethesda, Maryland-based AdvisorShares, founded by Rydex Investments alum Noah Hamman and majority owned by Fund.com, filed registration papers with the SEC on Thursday to roll out the Dent Tactical ETF.

In January of last year, AdvisorShares filed for the launch of two active ETFs, Sector Allocation ETF and Country Allocation ETF. (No sub-advisors were named for those funds). The firm then decided to shelve those plans as it focuses on launching Dent Tactical ETF as its debut product. AdvisorShares yesterday filed a registration withdrawal request for the two other products.

"We're responding to the feedback from advisors in the marketplace regarding what type of product they're looking for," said Hamman in an interview with The MFWire.

Hamman founded AdvisorShares in late 2006 after a four-year stint with Rydex Investments. In November of last year, online financial information provider Fund.com acquired a majority stake in the company.

Hamman, who earlier in his career worked at Fidelity and FOLIOfn, said AdvisorShares considered other money managers to work with for the product before striking up a relationship with HS Dent. Explaining the choice of partner, he said; "Their strategy is designed to be more responsive to the changing marketplace. It's based on their proprietary demographic-based research."

HS Dent was founded by Harry S. Dent, Jr., who authored The Roaring 2000s and The Roaring 2000s Investor. In 1999, the firm then-known as 1-800-Mutuals (it later rebranded to Mutuals.com and eventually to USA Mutuals) partnered with Dent to launch the Technology 20 fund and the Generation X fund, which are based on the investment philosophy of Dent (see The MFWire, 03/12/99).

Company Press Release

BETHESDA, MD--(Marketwire - March 12, 2009) - AdvisorShares Investments, LLC, is excited to announce a strategic relationship with the HS Dent organization and its founder, Harry S. Dent, Jr. AdvisorShares seeks to work with best of breed independent money managers in an innovative actively managed Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) solution. The ETF structure provides investors greater control, transparency, tax efficiency, and liquidity.

Growth in the ETF industry has been remarkable. According to Investment Company Institute (ICI) data, ETFs as a whole experienced more than $177 billion of in-flows during 2008.

Working together, AdvisorShares and HS Dent will provide a packaged investment strategy utilizing HS Dent's proprietary demographic research and relative strength. "True diversification means not just diversifying asset classes, but also diversifying investment strategies," said Noah Hamman, CEO and founder of AdvisorShares.

Dent says, "As we discuss in our recent book, The Great Depression Ahead, we believe the path to growth is through innovation in the marketplace, AdvisorShares serves as a great example of this type of innovation."

About AdvisorShares

AdvisorShares is an innovative investment management firm designed to offer actively managed ETFs. Exchange Traded Funds are one of the fastest growing investment products due to their operational and tax efficient structure, and easy of accessibility. AdvisorShares intends to offer a variety of investment products designed to help investors reach their financial goals. The Company seeks out top investment management firms interested in sub-advisory and product development opportunities, as well as qualified emerging money managers.

AdvisorShares Investments, LLC, is majority owned by Fund.com Inc., an online financial community which provides investment insight, analysis and portfolio planning tools.

Additional Information about AdvisorShares Investments, LLC is available at the new website www.AdvisorShares.com.

About HS Dent

HS Dent is an independent economic research and forecasting company that provides Financial Professionals and individuals with the proprietary economic tools needed to accurately forecast what lies ahead in our economy based on The Dent Method -- the only documented record of success at forecasting long term economic trends.

The Dent Method, developed by company Founder and economic expert Harry S. Dent, Jr. in the late 1980s, is a long term economic forecasting technique based on the study of and changes in demographic trends and their impact on our economy. It works by showing how predictable consumer spending patterns combined with demographic trends allow us to forecast the economy years or even decades in advance.

For two decades Financial Professionals and individuals have trusted HS Dent's independent economic think tank and research team to provide specialized and proprietary economic research, analysis tools and forecasts. HS Dent makes its research available through its Monthly Economic Forecasts and Special Reports, attending Demographics School, by joining the Financial Advisors Network, and by participating in its Online Communities to share techniques and ideas with some of the most successful advisors in the industry.

Additional Information about HS Dent is available at www.hsdent.com.