Indiana Grain Company, LLC

Posted: 07/12/10

By: tomgrisafi

Jefferies today announced the launch of the Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation Fund (the “Fund”), an open-end mutual fund offering investors comprehensive access to global commodity and commodity-equity markets with additional inflation hedging potential through investments in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”).

Representing Jefferies’ first open-end mutual fund product, the Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation Fund is a series of the Financial Investors Trust advised by ALPS Advisors Inc., and Jefferies Asset Management, LLC (“JAM”) acts as the sub-advisor to the Fund.

The Fund's investment objective is to seek maximum real return consistent with prudent investment management. The Fund seeks to optimize the allocation among investments that track changes in the commodity futures markets, investments in commodity equities, and TIPS. This combination seeks to provide comprehensive access to the global commodity markets and offers three layers of inflation hedging potential from commodities, commodity related equities and TIPS.

“The Fund is designed to provide comprehensive exposure to global commodity markets,” said Adam De Chiara, Co-President of JAM. "Just as many investors have sought to diversify their portfolios by including exposure to commodities, a diversified approach to commodity exposure itself may provide a better long-term solution for investors.”

The Fund is managed by Robert B. Hyman, Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager for JAM. Mr. Hyman rejoined JAM in June 2010. From January 2004 to April 2006, Mr. Hyman was a portfolio manager for Jefferies Asset Management, LLC in its Real Asset Division, where he traded commodity futures, options, indices, foreign exchange, exchange traded funds, and commodity related equities.

During his 30-plus years successfully trading commodities and commodity related products, Mr. Hyman has held a number of trading and risk control positions, including proprietary trading positions at Lehman Brothers, Amerada Hess Crude & Gas Co., and Drexel Burnham Lambert.