MutualFundWire.com: Dodge & Cox Allays Fears

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Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Dodge & Cox Allays Fears

Apparently, some investors in high-flying Dodge & Cox funds are worried. The fund firm put up a in a notice on its website addressing investors' concerns on Monday.

The Bigtime
Dodge & Cox	Assets, $Bn, 6/30/1999	Assets, $Bn, 6/30/2004	% Change
Stock Fund	4.7	36.3	672%
Balanced Fund	5.7	17.3	204%
Separate Accounts - Equity Assets	21.0	72.0	243%
Total	31.4	125.6	300%
Source: Dodge & Cox release

"[W]e have been receiving inquiries from our shareholders and clients about our growth in equity assets under management, and how that growth may influence our ability to effectively invest the assets that have been entrusted to us," stated company officials in the notice.

The fund firm closed its Stock Fund on January 16 and the Balanced Fund on September 10. It took what it called "prospective" measures to tide the flow as early as 2002, when it raised minimums for separate accounts in December, and then closed the separate institutional account business to new customers in June, 2003.

Among the efforts the fund firm has taken to keep up with burgeoning assets include: hiring more staff (Dodge & Cox employs 133 people presently, compared to 81 people five years ago); upgrading technology; improving shareholder communication and increasing capacity with transfer agent Boston Financial.

The company said it had no plans to reopen the funds.

Printed from: MFWire.com/story.asp?s=8098

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