MutualFundWire.com: Scout Wraps Up an Acquisition

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Monday, April 25, 2011

Scout Wraps Up an Acquisition

Right on schedule, Andy Iseman and his team at Scout Investments [see profile] have completed the acquisition of two bond mutual funds from Frontegra Asset Management [see profile]. Scout first unveiled the deal in January.

Kansas City, Missouri-based Scout merged the Frontegra Columbus Core Fund into the Scout Bond Fund, which now sports the name Scout Core Bond Fund. The Frontegra Columbus Core Plus Fund, for its part, has been reorganized into the newly-established Scout Core Plus Bond Fund. Scout offers a total of seven mutual funds.

David Lubchenco
Scout Investments
EVP, Distribution

Reams Asset Management, which Scout purchased last year, has been the sub-adviser of the two Frontegra funds since their inception and will continue to run the funds.

In an interview, David Lubchenco, executive vice president of distribution at Scout Investments, called the acquisition of the two funds "the logical next step for us following the Reams acquisition."

As for Frontegra, it continues to manage other mutual funds.

Company Press Release

Scout Investments Finalizes Acquisition of Two Frontegra Bond Funds

Reams Division to Continue Managing Reorganized Scout Core Plus Bond and Scout Core Bond

KANSAS CITY, MO . (April 25, 2011) – Scout Investments (Scout) announced today that it has finalized the acquisition of the mutual fund advisory business of the Frontegra Columbus Core Fund and the Frontegra Columbus Core Plus Fund from Frontegra Asset Management.

"We are pleased to bring these two fixed income funds into the Scout Funds group," said Andy Iseman, chief executive officer of Scout Investments. "We remain committed to providing industry-leading investment solutions."

As part of the acquisition, the Frontegra Columbus Core Fund has been merged into the Scout Bond Fund and is now named the Scout Core Bond Fund. The Morningstar 5-star rated Frontegra Columbus Core Plus Fund has been reorganized into the newly-established Scout Core Plus Bond Fund. Scout, through its Reams Asset Management division acquired in 2010, will continue to manage both funds.

"Our team is excited about making the core and core plus fixed income products available to a broader audience beyond the institutional marketplace," said Mark Egan, managing director at Reams Asset Management and lead portfolio manager of the newly reorganized funds.

The new bond funds also complement the firm's strong line-up of equity products, which include the Morningstar 5-star rated Scout Mid Cap Fund and the Scout International Fund, which recently received a Lipper Fund Award for the second consecutive year as best in class. The Scout International Fund ranked best out of 194 international large-cap growth funds for consistent return over the three-year period ending December 31, 2010 based on risk-adjusted returns.

About Scout Investments
Scout Investments, Inc., headquartered in Kansas City , Mo. , offers equity and fixed income investment management strategies for institutions and individual investors through separate accounts and the Scout Funds.