Expanding CBIS Global

While our U.S. funds serve the needs of our American participants, we have learned from Catholic investors around the globe in recent years that they, too, are interested in a Catholic socially responsible approach to investing. We responded to this need in 2008 by launching CBIS Global. We opened the first two funds in 2009: the European Short-Term Government Bond Fund and the Global Equity Fund. In 2010, we extended our efforts by launching two new CBIS Global funds: the Global Bond Fund and the European Equity Fund. Both of these funds, like the first two, adhere to the principles of Catholic socially responsible investing while pursuing their broader investment objectives. The Global Bond Fund seeks to achieve sustainable income and modest capital appreciation through investment primarily in investment-grade securities denominated in any currency and across a range of short- or long-dated maturities. The European Equity Fund seeks capital appreciation through investment generally in the equity securities of European issuers with a market capitalization greater than €65 million. CBIS Global now offers four euro-denominated funds.

In a show of strong support for CBIS’ reputation as the world’s leading Catholic socially responsible investment firm, CBIS was selected by STOXX, one of Europe’s leading Index providers, to lead the creation of the STOXX Europe Christian Index. Launched in April 2010, the new index measures the performance of companies selected from the STOXX Europe 600 Index according to the values and principles of the Christian religion. It is designed to act as a benchmark for actively managed funds, exchange-traded funds and other products that enable investors to participate in the performance of European companies which are compliant with Christian moral and social doctrines. CBIS continues to lead the Independent Committee that selects the stocks for the Index, along with other prominent Christians from the academic, religious and business communities.