Fund.com and Weston Capital Management Agree on Share Purchase Transaction
05 November 2009 - 11:11PM
PR Newswire (US)
Hedge Fund Expertise and Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) Platform are to
be Combined NEW YORK, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fund.com,
Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: FNDM) announced today that it has entered
into a letter of intent with Weston Capital Management LLC
("Weston") and its majority shareholders for the acquisition of an
equity interest from an institutional shareholder and its founder.
The letter of intent also provides for Fund.com to contribute
capital into Weston, an alternative investment group managing
approximately $1 billion. The investment in Weston is expected to
enhance the growth of Fund.com's exchange traded fund subsidiary,
AdvisorShares, an investment company that enables leading portfolio
managers to launch branded proprietary ETFs on a turn-key basis.
AdvisorShares is the originator of the Dent Tactical ETF, presently
the largest actively managed ETF. Following completion of the
transaction, Fund.com and Weston intend to develop a series of
Weston- branded exchange traded funds. Chairman Joseph J. Bianco of
Fund.com said, "We believe that AdvisorShares and Weston are highly
complementary businesses because Weston will gain a larger target
market through the distribution of exchange-traded products, while
AdvisorShares will benefit from the fund distribution experience of
Weston, which we anticipate will increase its ETFs assets under
management." "In addition, AdvisorShares gains access to Weston
Capital's investment manager 'seeding' business - a venture that
partners with fund managers by providing seed capital for new fund
products. AdvisorShares and Weston may 'seed' new actively managed
ETF products, which could assist in the growth of assets under
management and related fee income," he said. "We are delighted to
become partners with Albert Hallac and Weston Capital," said Greg
Webster, CEO of Fund.com. "They have the institutional
relationships and knowledge that perfectly complements our prior
investments in the exchange-traded fund platform." Upon completion
of Fund.com's investment in Weston Capital, Albert Hallac will
continue to head Weston Capital and maintain responsibility for
both the day-to-day management and the strategic direction of the
firm. Joseph J. Bianco, Chairman of Fund.com, will join as Chairman
of Weston Capital. "It is a very exciting time for Weston as we
expand our resources and leverage our expertise in close concert
with our new partners," said Albert Hallac, CEO of Weston Capital.
"AdvisorShares exchange-traded fund platform places us in the
center of the world's fastest growing asset management category,
which is exchange traded funds, or ETFs." About Weston Capital
Management Weston Capital Management LLC and its affiliates are an
alternative investment group founded in 1993. Based in Westport,
with offices in New York, West Palm Beach and London, Weston
currently employs more than 25 professionals worldwide managing
approximately $1 billion. For further information, please visit
http://www.westoncapital.com/. About Fund.com Fund.com through its
AdvisorShares Investments LLC subsidiary is creating actively
managed ETFs, such as the Dent Tactical ETF, to take advantage of
the rapidly growing ETF business. Fund.com also is an online
content provider and lead generation platform for investment funds
and other financial services providers. Its objective is to engage
individual investors and to match their needs with interested fund
product providers. The http://www.fund.com/ website is available to
everyday investors and, Fund.com believes, serves as an educational
and research resource. About AdvisorShares AdvisorShares
Investments, LLC is an innovative investment management firm which
offers actively managed ETFs through the AdvisorShares Trust, a
registered investment company. Exchange Traded Funds are one of the
fastest growing investment products due to their operational and
tax efficient structure, and easy of accessibility. The target
clients of AdvisorShares are independent investment advisors that
manage clients' assets, have a favorable track record and desire to
package their investment strategy using exchange-traded funds. With
AdvisorShares, independent investment managers will be able to
establish their own branded, or "white-labeled," ETF on a
"turn-key" basis and can ease client administration and streamline
compliance. By being listed on a major stock exchange, such as the
NYSE, investment managers improve their client distribution
opportunities, are able to showcase their track record, and can
increase assets under management. AdvisorShares Investments, LLC,
is a majority-owned subsidiary of Fund.com Inc. (OTC:FNDM)
(BULLETIN BOARD: FNDM) . Additional Information about AdvisorShares
Investments, LLC is available at http://www.advisorshares.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements: Statements in this press release
regarding future performance and the potential advantages of the
products and services provided by Fund.com, AdvisorShares and
Weston and any other statements about future expectations, beliefs,
goals, plans, or prospects expressed constitute forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of
historical fact (including statements containing the words "will,"
"believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates," and
similar expressions) should also be considered to be
forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors
that could cause actual performance or events to differ materially
from those indicated by such forward-looking statements including
the limited operating history of Fund.com and AdvisorShares and
economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential
factors that could affect results and other significant risks and
uncertainties are detailed from time to time in Fund.com's periodic
reports, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and other forms filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. DATASOURCE: Fund.com,
Inc. CONTACT: PR/Media Relations: Richard Stern, Stern & Co.,
+1-212-888-0044, Web Site: http://www.fund.com/
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