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Press Release iM Global Partner Launches New Dividend Growth Fund Active ETF with Berkshire Asset Management (BDVG)

Los Angeles and Pennsylvania – June 29, 2023.

iM Global Partner (iMGP) and its Partner Berkshire Asset Management (BAM) will launch a new dividend growth exchange traded fund (ETF) on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30.

The iMGP Berkshire Dividend Growth Equity ETF (BDVG) is an active, fully transparent ETF that seeks to achieve it’s objective by investing in dividend-paying equity securities, with an emphasis on stocks that have a strong track record of paying dividends or that are expected to increase their dividends over time.

This new ETF will leverage the same dividend growth investment strategy that BAM has managed in a separate account format for the past 14 years for high net worth and institutional investors in the US. This Separately Managed Account (SMA) has an investment universe that is predominantly U.S. large-cap stocks. BDVG is a clone of this SMA and both are managed by the same team, using the same investment process and philosophy.  

Berkshire’s investment philosophy is centered around buying high-quality, undervalued companies and holding them for a long period of time.  They firmly believe that a company’s dividend yield and history of growing dividends are a byproduct of strong business fundamentals.

“Our investment approach is focused around evaluating the current dividend but also takes into consideration the overall quality of the business and its future prospects” said Gerard Mihalick, Portfolio Manager and Partner at BAM.  “We don’t simply rely on historical dividend screens.  We have a very rigorous approach that evaluates a company’s value and potential for future dividend growth. We conduct our analysis as if we were going to acquire the entire company. This is what we believe gives us an edge over other strategies and believe it’s a commonsense approach to investing.

“We are launching this new ETF thanks to an increasing number of advisors and clients asking to access the Berkshire Asset Management Dividend Growth Equity Strategy in an ETF format”, shared Jeff Seeley, Deputy CEO – CEO of iM Global Partner Fund Management. “We are happy to be able to extend another one of our Partner’s flagship products into an additional investment vehicle so that more clients and advisors can access BAM’s long standing investment strategy. We are delighted to have BDVG as the latest addition to our growing ETF platform that is now comprised of four ETFs sub-advised by three of our iMGP Partners”. 

To learn more about BDVG, please visit imgpfunds.com/bdvg

About the iMGP Berkshire Dividend Growth Strategy ETF (BDVG)

TickerBDVG
Asset ClassLarge-Cap Value
Share ClassActive ETF
AdvisoriM Global Partner Fund Management
SubadvisorBerkshire Asset Management
ManagersKenneth Krogulski, CFA Gerard Mihalick, CFA Michael Weaver, CFA
Fund ServicesState Street Bank
DistributorALPS Distributors
Primary Listing ExchangeNYSE

About iM Global Partner

iM Global Partner is an asset manager with a difference. We are a dynamic network of specialist boutique investment managers, delivering best-in-class solutions, across asset classes, to our discerning Institutional and Professional Investors across the globe. We are proud to call these businesses our Partners and they are the essence of what iM Global Partner stands for: uncovering what we believe to be the best, the very best investment talent. We had around USD $37 billion of assets under management as of end May 2023.

For more information, visit imgp.com

About Berkshire Asset Management  

Berkshire is a fee-based, SEC registered advisory firm serving the portfolio management needs of high net worth and institutional clients. Our guiding principle is a belief that success can be achieved by combining rigorous, well-crafted investment processes with an exceptional level of client service and attention to detail. Berkshire Asset Management, Inc. was formed in 1986 as a SEC registered investment adviser. It had more than USD $4.2 billion in assets under advisement as of end May 2023.

For more information, visit berkshireasset.com

Media Contact

Jeff Seeley (Los Angeles)

(323) 238-4518

Roselle Mansur (Los Angeles)

(310) 615-5199

media@imgp.com

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DISCLOSURE

This is a marketing communication. It is not a binding contractual document, or an information document required by law. The information contained in this document does not constitute an offer or recommendation to buy or sell units of the fund and is not sufficient to make an investment decision. Please refer to the fund’s prospectus and KIID before making any final investment decision. These documents, containing full information on the risks associated with the investment, are available in English on www.imgp.com.

The investment concerns the acquisition of units or shares in a fund and not in a given underlying asset.

iM Global Fund Management is ultimately responsible for the performance of the fund due to its responsibility to oversee the fund’s investment manager and recommend its hiring, termination and replacement.

The fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory and summary prospectuses contain this and other important information about the investment company, and it may be obtained by calling 1-800-960-0188, or visiting impfunds.com. Read it carefully before investing.

This fund is new and performance information is not available. Once performance is available, it may be obtained by calling 1-800-960-0188 or by visiting imgpfunds.com

Although the manager actively manages risk to reduce portfolio volatility, there is no guarantee that the fund will always maintain its targeted risk level, especially over shorter time periods and loss of principal is possible. The performance goals are not guaranteed, are subject to change, and should not be considered a predictor of investment return. All investments involve the risk of loss and no measure of performance is guaranteed. The fund aims to deliver its return over a full market cycle, which is likely to include periods of both up and down markets.

Securities that pay dividends, as a group, may be out of favor with the market and underperform the overall equity market or stocks of companies that do not pay dividends. In addition, changes in the dividend policies of the companies held by the Fund or the capital resources available for such company’ s dividend payments may adversely affect the Fund.

The Fund intends to pay out dividends and interest income, if any, annually and distribute net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders at least annually. There is no assurance that the funds will be able to maintain a certain level of distributions. The fund is newly organized with no history of performance.

Though not an international fund, the fund may invest in foreign securities. Investing in foreign securities exposes investors to economic, political and market risks, and fluctuations in foreign currencies.

Distributed by Alps Distributors Inc.