Wespath for Tuesday, 18 March 2014 - Investment Solutions for United Methodist Organizations

Wespath for Tuesday, 18 March 2014 - Investment Solutions for United Methodist Organizations
Highlights
For the year-to-date period ended February 28, 2014:
•The net-of-fees return for Wespath’s balanced fund—the Multiple Asset Fund—exceeded that of its blended benchmark index (+1.77% vs. +1.57%). Click here to view fund performance as of February 28, 2014.
Since the beginning of the first quarter:
•The funds managed by Wespath received significant new inflows from the North Alabama United Methodist Foundation (Birmingham, AL) and the New York Annual Conference (White Plains, NY).
Performance Updates
•View the February 2014 Investment Report, including an overview of the markets for the previous month, information on economic and geopolitical developments that impact the markets, and monthly as well as year-to-date fund performance data. 
•On Thursday, April 24, Wespath hosts its “Quarterly Update” webinar at 1:30pm Central Time.  To register, please click here.
Insights and Commentary from Wespath
•Wespath’s Stephen Kroah authored a white paper, “Understanding Fixed Income Returns: Past, Present and Future,” providing a framework for forecasting the returns of bond portfolios given the concern of rising interest rates in the future.
•Wespath research analyst Barbara Fears authored “Enhancing Shareholder Value:  A Case for Board Diversity,” providing examples of case studies suggesting that the inclusion of women and/or racial/ethnic minorities on the boards of publicly-traded companies can have a positive impact on financial performance.
Upcoming Events 
•Wespath is among the sponsors of:
oThe United Methodist Association’s 74th National Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, March 24-26.
oThe International Association of United Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities’ 2014 Conference in Hiroshima, Japan, May 24-28.
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