You are here: Home » 2021 » Archives for March 2021

Call for Entries Issued for The 2021 International Business Awards®

FAIRFAX, Va., March 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Stevie Awards have opened entries for The 18th Annual International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, which attracts nominations from organizations in more than 60 nations and territories each year.

All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for–profit and non–profit, large and small – may submit nominations to The International Business Awards. The early–bird entry deadline, with reduced entry fees, is 13 April. The final entry deadline is 12 May, but late entries will be accepted through 16 June with payment of a late fee. Entry details are available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

Juries featuring more than 150 executives around the world will determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners. Winners be announced on 12 August, and celebrated at a gala banquet in Paris, France on 23 October, conditions permitting.

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Categories include:

There are many new and revised features of The International Business Awards for 2021:

Stevie Award winners in the 2020 IBAs included Deutsche Telekom Services Europe (Slovakia), Ernst & Young (USA), IBM (USA), Facebook India Online Services (India), Freelancer.com (Australia), Ooredoo Group (Qatar), REMAP (Canada), Trkiye Bankas (Turkey), Thai Life Insurance (Thailand), Telecommunication Services Limited (Hong Kong), LLYC (Spain), Warner Media (USA), and many more.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia–Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards , The International Business Awards , the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the new Middle East Stevie Awards. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Contact:
Nina Moore
+1 (703) 547–8389
Nina@StevieAwards.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a31c4624–616b–4997–aeba–a937ec876a6d


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8187714)

Sea Electric Holdings Pty Ltd. Completes US$42 Million Equity Financing

LOS ANGELES, March 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following substantial growth in new markets, global automotive technology company SEA Electric Holdings Pty Ltd. (SEA Electric), announced it has closed initial private placement equity financing for total gross proceeds of approximately US$42 million. The net proceeds from the investment will allow SEA Electric to solidify its position as a market leader in the electrification of commercial vehicles whilst funding its considerable backlog and facilitating more pilot programs with operators.

(Please download this press release and HIGH RESOLUTION versions of SEA Electric images and other supporting editorial assets: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2shmc8051lw62hv/AACViAedt5BIsrAjlI6XAXgha?dl=0 )

With a global headquarters and key leadership in Los Angeles, SEA Electric currently has operations in five countries and more than one million miles of independent Original Equipment Manufacturer ("OEM") testing and in–service operation in all markets.

President and Founder Tony Fairweather stated, "We are very pleased to have completed a heavily oversubscribed equity financing and are excited to welcome aboard a global set of institutional investors as partners. The financing allows SEA Electric to accelerate our sales efforts and grow our backlog as we explore options to seek a public listing in the United States this year."

SEA Electric currently partners with commercial vehicle OEM's, dealers, operators and upfitters to deliver a new range of zero–emissions trucks and is on schedule to deliver more than 1,000 electric commercial vehicles this year. The company forecast is to have more than 15,000 vehicles on the road by the end of 2023.

"2021 will see a paradigm shift in the way developed markets facilitate uptake of commercial electric vehicles and the unstoppable momentum will build year–after–year" said Fairweather.

Additionally, Fairweather commented, "We are also very excited to welcome Exro Technologies as a strategic partner and shareholder of SEA Electric. We look forward to expanding our partnership with Exro and helping to optimize the utilization of batteries in a second–life application."

Exro Technologies, a leading Canadian clean technology company and a strategic SEA Electric partner and shareholder, has been known as a pioneer and a real "game changer' when it comes to the power and efficiency of electric motors. According to Fairweather, the collaboration with Exro will focus on utilizing electric truck batteries for energy storage applications. Exro and SEA Electric will co–develop Exro's Battery Control System (BCS) for operational validation and take the next step toward leadership in power electronics for mobility and energy management.

"We're thrilled to be working together with SEA Electric to increase the momentum of commercial electric vehicle uptake," said Sue Ozdemir, Chief Executive Officer of Exro Technologies. "We have a strong relationship with Tony and the SEA Electric team and are very excited to realize the benefits of the BCS co–development project."

Working closely with its shareholders, investors and partners including Exro, exclusive financial advisor Eight Capital and international law firm Vinson and Elkins on this financing round, Fairweather confirms the company will also be exploring options to seek a public listing in the United States this year.

Background for Series A Round

Pursuant to the Financing, SEA Electric issued approximately 1.1 million Series A Preferred Shares at a price of US $40.1995 per share, convertible into common shares of SEA Electric at the option of subscribers and automatically convert to common shares under certain conditions, including SEA Electric completing a public transaction.

SEA Electric History Timeline

  • 2012 — SEA Electric founded in Australia
  • 2017 "" First SEA Electric model launch after 5 years of product development/field testing,
  • 2017 "" Launch SEA–Drive models
  • 2018 "" (May 2018) Isuzu Australia begin pilot test SEA Electric EV's
  • 2018 "" (September 2018) Melbourne factory facility opens
  • 2019 "" (March 2019) New Zealand facility opens
  • 2020 "" (January 2020) Los Angeles, California facility opens (Torrance)
  • 2020 "" (February 2020) Australia grants SEA Electric patent for Commercial EV management system
  • 2020 "" (May 2020) Staples deploy first SEA Hino 195 EV delivery truck in California
  • 2020 "" (December 2020) Canada grants SEA Electric patent for Commercial EV management system
  • 2020 "" (December 2020) Toyota Indonesia signs with SEA Electric to design and build Toyota Innova EV prototype
  • 2021 "" (May 2021) SEA Electric to launch first SEA Hino Australian SKD assembled EV truck, the SEA Hino 300, at the Brisbane Truck Show

About SEA Electric

Global automotive technology company SEA Electric was founded in Australia in 2012, creating its proprietary electric power–system technology (known as SEA–Drive ) for the world's urban delivery and distribution fleets.

Widely recognized as a market leader in the electrification of commercial vehicles on a global basis, SEA Electric commands a global presence, deploying product in seven countries including USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa with collectively more than one million miles of independently OEM–tested and in–service international operation.

The company's global sales, after–sales and engineering are represented in all subsidiaries, whilst North America has the largest upfitting capacity for SEA Electric at more than 30,000 units per annum.

Contact: Deb Pollack/Strategic Communications 805.320.9248

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae5c1a9d–0dea–4a99–bb1d–b43ad247afcd

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4988c02c–661d–4a5a–9a79–ef6cc7936cc8


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8186728)

FXCM named Best FX Platform at the 2021 Online Personal Wealth Awards

London, Sydney, Johannesburg

LONDON and SYDNEY, Australia and JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FXCM Group, LLC ("FXCM Group' or "FXCM'), the leading international provider of online foreign exchange (FX) trading, CFD trading and related services, has been named the Best FX platform at the 2021 Online Personal Wealth Awards.

FXCM was voted for by tens of thousands of retail traders to win the accolade. It comes as FXCM continues to broaden its FX offering with a range of new instruments, technology partnerships and value–added services.

In the past year FXCM has improved both its mobile and desktop services with new updates to its mobile platform making it easier to trade on the move. They also continued to expand their ecosystem with partnerships that improved both the trading experience and the delivery of insights and strategies to its customers.

Brendan Callan, CEO of FXCM, said: "Being recognised by market users for the quality of our FX product is greatly rewarding. I applaud the FXCM team for their dedication to ensuring the highest quality standards and for keeping our clients' interests at heart."

"Over the past year, we have focused on providing our clients with new and efficient trading tools to capitalise on different market opportunities. Whether it was from the comfort of their own home or on the move, we always want our customers to trade confidently with our innovative tools at their disposal."

"A big thank you to all those who voted for FXCM and to the Online Personal Wealth Awards for this honour."

About FXCM:

FXCM is a leading provider of online foreign exchange (FX) trading, CFD trading, and related services. Founded in 1999, the company's mission is to provide global traders with access to the world's largest and most liquid market by offering innovative trading tools, hiring excellent trading educators, meeting strict financial standards and striving for the best online trading experience in the market. Clients have the advantage of mobile trading, one–click order execution and trading from real–time charts. In addition, FXCM offers educational courses on FX trading and provides trading tools, proprietary data and premium resources. FXCM Pro provides retail brokers, small hedge funds and emerging market banks access to wholesale execution and liquidity, while providing high and medium frequency funds access to prime brokerage services via FXCM Prime. FXCM is a Leucadia Company.

Forex Capital Markets Limited: FCA registration number 217689 (www.fxcm.com/uk)

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.

76.31% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

FXCM EU LTD: CySEC license number 392/20 (www.fxcm.com/eu)

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.

The vast majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.

You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

FXCM Australia Pty. Limited: AFSL 309763. Losses can exceed your deposited funds. The products may not be suitable for all investors. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved. If you decide to trade products offered by FXCM AU, you must read and understand the Financial Services Guide, Product Disclosure Statement, and Terms of Business on www.fxcm.com/au.

FXCM South Africa (PTY) Ltd: FSP No 46534 (www.fxcm.com/za). Our service includes products that are traded on margin and carry a risk of losses in excess of your deposited funds. The products may not be suitable for all investors. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved.

FXCM Markets Limited: Losses can exceed deposited funds. (www.fxcm.com/markets).

Media contact:

Chatsworth Communications
+44 (0) 20 7440 9780
fxcm@chatsworthcommunications.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8186233)

Synchronoss Announces Appointment of Jeff Miller as Permanent CEO and President

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., March 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR), a global leader and innovator of cloud, messaging and digital solutions, today announced that its Board of Directors has confirmed Jeff Miller as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Miller had been serving as interim President and CEO of Synchronoss since September 2020 and joined Synchronoss in 2018 as Chief Commercial Officer.

Prior to coming to Synchronoss, Miller was President of the Technology Group for IDEAL Industries, a firm focused on designing and delivering solutions for smart commercial buildings and spaces. He also served 16 years with Motorola, most recently as Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Operations in North America for Motorola Mobility, LLC, a division of Lenovo. Miller also held various leadership positions in sales management, marketing, and product management at AT&T during an 11–year tenure.

"I have had the opportunity to work closely with Jeff over these past six months. It's been a challenging time for our team, our customers and the world at large, but the Board is delighted with Jeff's transparent and pragmatic approach. I am pleased to confirm his position as our new President and CEO," said Stephen Waldis, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board of Synchronoss. "Jeff is aligned with our goal to focus Synchronoss on the lines of business that are generating the best results for our clients and have a clear line of sight into potential for the future growth and profitability of our business."

Miller said he is very pleased and humbled to have been confirmed as Synchronoss' new leader. "Our amazing team has demonstrated incredible drive, determination and resilience during the challenges faced this past year, while maintaining constant focus on serving our customers," he said. "And although we've built strong momentum these past six months, it's the future I'm most excited about. Synchronoss has a long heritage of helping telecom operators increase their service revenues and delight their subscribers "" an approach to which we remain committed. As major changes take place in the 5G economy in personal cloud and advanced messaging markets, we are prepared to continue helping operators benefit from the consumer trust they've rightfully earned as they launch new, revenue–generating products and services."

About Synchronoss

Synchronoss transforms the way companies create new revenue, reduce costs and delight their subscribers with cloud, messaging and digital solutions, supporting hundreds of millions of subscribers across the globe. Synchronoss' secure, scalable and groundbreaking new technologies, trusted partnerships, and talented people change the way TMT customers grow their businesses. For more information, visit us at www.synchronoss.com.

Contacts

Media
Anais Merlin, CCgroup (International)
+44 7 93252 6514 — synchronoss@ccgrouppr.com

Diane Rose, CCgroup (North America)
+1 727.238.7567 — diane@ccgrouppr.com

Investors
Todd Kehrli/Joo–Hun Kim, MKR Investor Relations, Inc.
investor@synchronoss.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8186152)

UPDATE – Guggenheim Investments Ranked as Barron’s Best Taxable Fixed-Income Fund Family

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Guggenheim Investments, the global asset management and Investment advisory business of Guggenheim Partners, has been ranked as Barron's top taxable fixed–income mutual fund family of 2020, out of 53 companies. In its overall fund family rankings, which includes four other asset classes including World Equity, U.S. Equity, Mixed Equity and Municipal Bond, Barron's ranked Guggenheim Investments #2.1 The rankings recognize the performance of the firm's flagship Total Return Bond fund (GIBIX) and Macro Opportunities fund (GIOIX).

Published by Dow Jones, Barron's (www.barrons.com) is America's premier financial magazine. The Barron's Fund Families Ranking looks at the one–year relative performance of fund firms that offer a diversified lineup of actively managed mutual funds and ETFs.

"On behalf of our clients and staff, we're honored to be recognized by Barron's for our powerful investment performance in 2020," said Guggenheim Chairman of Investments and Global Chief Investment Officer Scott Minerd. "This recognition of our family of mutual funds, particularly our fixed–income funds, is further validation of our disciplined investment process, which draws on the principles of behavioral finance to mitigate cognitive biases and allows for better decision–making. This process encourages our best research and ideas across specialized teams to be brought together and expressed in actively managed portfolios."

"The Barron's rankings recognize the market leading performance by our mutual fund family during an extraordinarily challenging year," said Jerry W. Miller, President of Guggenheim Investments. "This outstanding recognition reflects our firm's goal to provide the industry's top products and talent for both individual and institutional clients. We look forward to continuing to deliver on this commitment in 2021 and beyond."

In its rankings, Barron's highlighted Guggenheim Investments' standout performance against the volatile backdrop of 2020. "[T]he $25 billion Guggenheim Total Return Bond fund (GIBIX) returned more than 15% in 2020, and beat nearly all of its Lipper peers. Likewise, the $6 billion Guggenheim Macro Opportunities fund (GIOIX) returned 11.6% to rank at the top of its peer group"Guggenheim is adept at turning market dislocations in its favor. It cleaned up after the 2008–09 financial crisis, and in 2014, following the taper tantrum, the Total Return Bond fund returned 8.3%""outpacing most of its peers."2

The Guggenheim Total Return Bond Fund grew to over $23 billion as of December 31, 2020. The fund's Institutional Class has led all its peers since its November 30, 2011, inception with a 6.39 percent annualized return, making it the top performing fund out of 355 competitors in the Morningstar Intermediate Core–Plus Bond category over that period based on total return3. In 2020, the fund returned 15.2 percent, more than doubling the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which returned 7.5%. Guggenheim's total fixed income mutual fund assets totaled more than $37 billion as of December 31, 2020, an increase of 46% since the end of 2019.

The Guggenheim Macro Opportunities Fund grew to over $5 billion as of December 31, 2020. The fund's Institutional Class has led all its peers since its November 30, 2011 inception with a 5.80 percent annualized return, making it the top performing fund out of 118 competitors in the Morningstar Nontraditional Bond category over that period based on total returniii. In 2020, the fund returned 11.56 percent, more than 400 basis points better than the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which returned 7.5%. Guggenheim's total fixed income mutual fund assets totaled more than $37 billion as of December 31, 2020, an increase of 46% since the end of 2019.

To view the Barron's story, please visit https://webreprints.djreprints.com/57993.html

For additional information, please visit www.guggenheiminvestments.com.

About Guggenheim Investments

Guggenheim Investments is the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners, with more than $246 billion4 in total assets across fixed income, equity, and alternative strategies. We focus on the return and risk needs of insurance companies, corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, consultants, wealth managers, and high–net–worth investors. Our 300+ investment professionals perform rigorous research to understand market trends and identify undervalued opportunities in areas that are often complex and underfollowed. This approach to investment management has enabled us to deliver innovative strategies providing diversification opportunities and attractive long–term results.

About Guggenheim Partners

Guggenheim Partners is a global investment and advisory firm with more than $310 billion5 in assets under management. Across our three primary businesses of investment management, investment banking, and insurance services, we have a track record of delivering results through innovative solutions. With over 2,400 professionals based in offices around the world, our commitment is to advance the strategic interests of our clients and to deliver long–term results with excellence and integrity. We invite you to learn more about our products, services, expertise, and values by visiting GuggenheimPartners.com and following us on Twitter at twitter.com/guggenheimptnrs.

Media Contact
Gerard Carney
Guggenheim Partners
917.703.6368
Gerard.carney@GuggenheimPartners.com

Average Annual Total Returns (As of 12.31.2020)

Fund 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years Since Fund Inception Gross Expense Ratio Net Expense Ratio6 Inception Date
Guggenheim Total Return Bond Fund (GIBIX) 15.24 % 6.78 % 6.61 % 6.39 % 0.57 % 0.51 % 11/30/2011
Guggenheim Macro Opportunities Fund (GIOIX) 11.56 % 4.67 % 5.97 % 5.80 % 1.23 % 1.05 % 11/30/2011
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index 7.51 % 5.34 % 4.44 % 3.5 %

Performance displayed represents past performance which is no guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate so that when shares are redeemed, they may be worth more or less than original cost. Total returns reflect the reinvestment of all dividends. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For up–to–date fund performance, including performance current to the most recent month–end, please visit our website at www.GuggenheimInvestments.com.

This material is distributed or presented for informational or educational purposes only and should not be considered a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product, or as investing advice of any kind. This material is not provided in a fiduciary capacity, may not be relied upon for or in connection with the making of investment decisions, and does not constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. The content contained herein is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal or tax advice and/or a legal opinion. Always consult a financial, tax and/or legal professional regarding your specific situation.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Investments in fixed–income instruments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could rise, causing their values to decline. High yield and unrated debt securities are at a greater risk of default than investment grade bonds and may be less liquid, which may increase volatility. Investors in asset–backed securities, including mortgage–backed securities and collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"), generally receive payments that are part interest and part return of principal. These payments may vary based on the rate loans are repaid. Some asset–backed securities may have structures that make their reaction to interest rates and other factors difficult to predict, making their prices volatile and they are subject to liquidity and valuation risk. CLOs bear similar risks to investing in loans directly, such as credit, interest rate, counterparty, prepayment, liquidity, and valuation risks. Loans are often below investment grade, may be unrated, and typically offer a fixed or floating interest rate.

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad–based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar–denominated, fixed–rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government–related and corporate securities, MBS (agency fixed–rate and hybrid ARM pass–throughs), ABS, and CMBS (agency and non–agency).

Read a fund's prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) carefully before investing. It contains the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information, which should be considered carefully before investing. Obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) at GuggenheimInvestments.com or call 800.820.0888.

1 Past performance is no guarantee of future results. In the overall Barron's Top Fund Families rankings for the period ending 12.31.2020, Guggenheim ranked 2 out of 53 companies over the 1–year period; 18 out of 50 over the 5–year period; 29 out of 44 over the 10–year period; and 4 out of 55 in the World Equity category over the 1–year period, Copyright 2021 Dow Jones & Company, All Rights Reserved. Barron's Fund Family Rankings are calculated without the impact of expenses such as 12b–1 fees, front–end loads or sales charges, which would reduce returns. Each fund's performance is measured against all of the other funds in its Lipper category, with a percentile ranking of 100 being the highest and one the lowest. This result is then weighted by asset size, relative to the fund family's other assets in its general classification. To be included in the ranking, a firm must have at least three funds in the general equity category, one world equity, one mixed equity (such as a balanced or target–date fund), two taxable bond funds, and one national tax–exempt bond fund. Single–sector and country equity funds are factored into the rankings as general equity. All passive index funds are excluded, such as pure index, enhanced index, and index–based, but actively managed ETFs and smart–beta ETFs are included. Finally, the score is multiplied by the weighting of its general classification, as determined by the entire Lipper universe of funds. Please see www.barrons.com for more information about the rankings.
2 Based on total return, GIBIX was ranked 4 out 368 funds in the Lipper Multi–Sector Income category for 1 year, 17 out of 323 for 3 years, and 42 out of 298 for 5 years. GIOIX was ranked 1 out of 126 funds in the Lipper Alternative Credit Focus category for 1 year, 22 out of 118 for 3 years, and 23 out of 110 for 5 years.
3 As of 12.31.2020, GIBIX was ranked 29 out of 602, 41 out of 543, and 9 out of 464 funds in the Morningstar Core Plus Fixed Income category for 1, 3, and 5–year periods based on total return. GIOIX was ranked 14 out of 316, 54 out of 269, and 32 out of 240 funds in the Morningstar Core Plus Fixed Income category for 1, 3, and 5–years. 2020 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar, nor its content providers, are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information.
iv Assets under management as of 12.31.2020 and include leverage of $13.7bn. Guggenheim Investments represents the following affiliated investment management businesses of Guggenheim Partners, LLC: Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC, Security Investors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Corporate Funding, LLC, Guggenheim Partners Europe Limited, Guggenheim Partners Fund Management (Europe) Limited, Guggenheim Partners Japan Limited, GS GAMMA Advisors, LLC, and Guggenheim Partners India Management.
v Assets under management are as of 12.31.2020 and include consulting services for clients whose assets are valued at approximately $70bn.
vi The advisor has contractually agreed to waive fees and expenses through 2.1.2022 to limit the ordinary operating expenses of the fund.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8185422)

Appellate Court Hands Momentous Victory to TriMax Over Wickfire

DALLAS, March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After seven years of litigation, TriMax has triumphed over Wickfire.

On February 26, 2021, an Appellate Court issued a paramount ruling that Wickfire lacked any evidence to support its claims against TriMax. The decision was made in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Case Number 17–3043040. The Appellate Court's ruling reversed all monetary damages previously awarded to Wickfire.

The lawsuit, originally before the Western District of Texas, Case No. 14–CV–34, centered around Google AdWords Auctions, an online–auction platform where companies like TriMax and Wickfire compete for advertising space. Wickfire asserted innumerable claims against TriMax, but as to each one, Wickfire ultimately failed:

  • Wickfire alleged TriMax intentionally interfered with Wickfire's contracts, intentionally interfered with Wickfire's prospective business, and committed civil conspiracy. The Appellate Court, however, disagreed fully, finding "Wickfire offered no such proof" and declaring that each of these claims failed "as a matter of law."
  • Wickfire also alleged TriMax violated trademark law under the Lanham Act. The jury, however, awarded Wickfire no damages on the claim. Furthermore, the Appellate Court found Wickfire not to be the "prevailing party" on that claim, and in doing so, rejected Wickfire's improper attempt to seek attorneys' fees under the trademark statute.
  • Finally, Wickfire brought claims against TriMax for injury to business reputation, business disparagement, defamation, unfair competition, and misappropriation. However, Wickfire retracted each of those claims before the trial, and therefore, these claims did not even reach the appellate level.

TriMax filed its successful appeal in the wake of a lower court's judgment, in which the court erroneously awarded $2.3 million to Wickfire. Because Wickfire lacked any evidence whatsoever to support its claims, the Appellate Court reversed the judgment, overturned the award, and ordered the trial court to issue a new judgment. Based on the Appellate Court decision, the new judgment should award Wickfire nothing.

In the same lawsuit, the jury previously found Wickfire LLC and its co–owners, Chet Hall and Jon Brown, to have intentionally interfered with TriMax Media's business. TriMax argued that Wickfire intentionally interfered with TriMax's contracts by (1) paying kickbacks to merchant representatives in exchange for exclusivity agreements; (2) impersonating TriMax by placing unauthorized ads that plagiarized TriMax's ad copy and contained other identifying information of TriMax; (3) repeatedly clicking on TriMax ads in order to artificially increase TriMax's costs (known as "click fraud"); and (4) using an automated software program to manipulate the Google auction system (known as "bid jamming").

TriMax presented evidence to the jury that Wickfire had been suspended from over 200 Google accounts, violated merchant terms, and employed fake user agents and proxies to conceal its identity. The jury also saw evidence that Google referred to Wickfire as "Known Fraudsters" and that Wickfire registered the domain name "GoogleClickFraud.com".

TriMax also presented evidence regarding Wickfire's destruction of evidence. TriMax learned that during the litigation, Wickfire wiped all the data from its Chief Technology Officer Jon Brown's laptop and then failed to disclose that information to TriMax or the court. Once TriMax uncovered the destruction, Wickfire claimed it was necessary, since the laptop had been stolen during a home burglary. However, the police report""which TriMax obtained independently after Wickfire failed to produce a copy""contradicted Wickfire's story because it mentioned nothing about an allegedly stolen laptop.

While the jury heard extensive evidence about Wickfire's conduct comprising Wickfire's intentional interference against TriMax (which the jury found to have occurred), some of the most devastating evidence was excluded. For example, the jury was not permitted to see:

  • The police report from the burglary;
  • Registration documents showing Wickfire as the owner of "BitchesOfFacebook.com" and "PokeBitches.com";
  • An e–mail from a merchant representative who, after refusing to accept the alleged kickbacks, referred to Wickfire as "criminals";
  • Screenshots of Wickfire's ads impersonating TriMax's;
  • An e–mail from a merchant terminating TriMax after wrongly believing TriMax was the source of the impersonating ads;
  • An e–mail from a merchant complaining that Wickfire violated trademark terms and plagiarized TriMax's ads;
  • A lengthy technical report that, according to a world–renowned computer expert, proves conclusively that Wickfire committed extensive click fraud against TriMax;
  • A real–time video demonstrating the bid–jamming TriMax experienced;
  • A summary of hundreds of TriMax's merchant contracts interfered with by bid–jamming; and
  • E–mails from other competitors of Wickfire complaining about Wickfire's bidding tactics.

Despite the jury's finding against Wickfire, Chet Hall and Jon Brown for intentional interference with TriMax's business, no damages against Wickfire were awarded. The Appellate Court's ruling, however, did not disturb the jury's finding that Wickfire, Hall, and Brown committed the intentional interference in the first place.

The Appellate Court's ruling was comprised of a 21–page opinion, unanimously decided by three Circuit Judges and authored by Chief Judge Priscilla Owen of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Representing TriMax were attorneys Sidney K. Powell of the law firm of Sidney Powell PC and Barry M. Golden of the law firm of Egan Nelson LLP.

  • Ms. Powell was formerly an Assistant United States Attorney and is author of the groundbreaking book Licensed to Lie, an expos on unethical attorney conduct and improper concealment of evidence. Ms. Powell is known most recently for representing General Michael Flynn, filing third–party election lawsuits, and launching a Super PAC dedicated to a range of aims, including freedom of speech, Constitutional rights, and the right of free and fair elections.
  • Mr. Golden is a litigator and the Co–Chair of Egan Nelson's Commercial Litigation Group. Throughout his 23–year career spanning four decades, Mr. Golden has regularly handled high–stakes litigation, often including bet–the–company matters.

TriMax's CEO, Laura Woodruff, commented: "After so many years of litigation, TriMax has received complete exoneration. We are thrilled but certainly unsurprised by the outcome. We only hope this ruling will prevent Wickfire from bringing any more baseless claims against a legitimate competitor. We do, however, remain disappointed that Google and the Networks allowed Wickfire to intentionally interfere with our business in the first place. Nevertheless, based on the jury's finding that Wickfire interfered with TriMax's business""a finding that was not reversed""we now hope tactics like kickbacks, impersonation of competitors, click fraud, and bid jamming will no longer be tolerated in the online–advertising industry."

About TriMax Media:

Founded in 2003, TriMax Media is a digital marketing agency specializing in performance–based search engine marketing. TriMax served on the first Google Advertiser Research Council and was one of the first companies to generate over one million leads for its clients utilizing Google AdWords. The agency focuses on creating highly effective search marketing campaigns and developing successful long–term relationships with its clients.

Company Contact:
For questions, please contact:
Barry M. Golden
Egan Nelson LLP
214.893.9034
barry.golden@egannelson.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8184857)

Informa Markets Drives Economic Recovery with Safe and Successful Return to the Show Floor

ORLANDO, Fla., March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As industries and economies around the world look for opportunities to rebuild business in the wake of the COVID–19 pandemic, Informa Markets, a global organizer who creates platforms for a wide range of industries to trade, connect and grow, launched MAGIC Pop–Up Orlando from February 9–11 at the Orange County Convention Center. The "Pop–Up', a smaller scale regional version of their keystone fashion event which typically takes place twice–yearly in Las Vegas, Nevada was a comprehensive "one–stop–shop' opportunity for various segments of the fashion industry, one of the many industries hit hard by the pandemic's devastating economic impact, to discover new brands, safely network with like–minded retailers, and generate much–needed revenue.

Informa Markets Fashion, the platform organizers' aptly–named portfolio of menswear, womenswear, footwear and apparel sourcing platforms, surveyed customers in late 2020 to identify how best to fulfill the needs of the fashion community. The answer was a resounding desire from both brands and retailers alike to return to the show floor in Q1 2021, a critical buying time for the fashion industry. In response, Informa Markets moved forward with a hybrid approach, launching an online marketplace, MAGIC Digital, alongside a physical event in Orlando. While Informa Markets believe strongly in the virtual format as a powerful complementary tool and a long–term twin engine for their 450+ brands, interest in the physical event exceeded their expectations""recording an astounding 40% more registrations than anticipated for the Orlando show.

"The fashion industry is a very tactile one," said Kelly Helfman, Commercial President, Informa Markets Fashion. "Buyers need to see and feel fabrics. While digital is an incredible tool to maintain connectivity, and help qualify buying trends, the power of face–to–face will always be important""in–person interactions are really not replicable in a digital format. While data can help guide decision making, qualifying suppliers with potential customers isn't just a one–click experience""it requires deep understanding and relationship building in most cases. The past year has proven more than ever the true value of human connection, and we've seen that reflected by the enthusiasm for, and success of, this event."

MAGIC Pop Up Orlando featured a diverse array of up–and–coming designers and larger more established brands eager to connect with big box, online, specialty and boutique retailers, with the collective goal of reinvigorating the hard–hit fashion industry.

"We love MAGIC and are so happy to be back here," said Hanna Jung from By Together, a fashion wholesaler. "We have met so many new, diverse customers here in Orlando. The buyers were ecstatic that MAGIC came back into the market with this Pop–Up event."

But fashion is not the only sector eager to return to the show floor""it's a trend Informa Markets is seeing across the many sectors it serves. In May, Informa Markets will host a platform for the aviation industry, also in search of a channel for learning, innovation and discovery that reaches beyond the screen. And in June, the organizer plans to return to Las Vegas, home to many of the country's largest trade events, in response to similar enthusiasm from communities ranging from construction to cosmetics to recycling & waste.

"Our events are platforms to re–build and re–invigorate industries," said Nancy Walsh, President, North America, Informa Markets. "They serve a really important role in relationship building, in discovering innovation, and in revenue–driving for the communities they serve, especially when done in a safe and controlled way. That's not just the Fashion community that this event served, but communities spanning across Health & Nutrition, Brand Licensing, Construction, Aviation, and more. Almost every industry has been impacted by the pandemic, and our customers, many of whom are small business owners, truly believe these platforms are more critical than ever before."

These platforms' impacts, however, are not solely on their facilitation of growth and development of industry sectors. They also provide significant regional economic opportunity. The trade show industry is estimated to contribute $2.24 billion in annual economic value to the city of Las Vegas alone, and a 2018 study showed that globally tradeshows bring an average of 303 million visitors to host cities each year, supporting 1.3 million jobs and generating $136.9 billion in business sales. The pandemic's impact on those working in the tourism and hospitality industry has been devastating, and trade shows support local economies, driving revenue to hotels, convention centers, and local businesses representing waiters, cooks, security providers, drivers, artists, printers, photographers, carpenters, laborers and more. In Orlando, the co–located event provided an estimated $15.35 million in economic value to the city over the course of just 3 days.

"We are honored to have played a role in successfully hosting MAGIC Pop–Up Orlando. We are committed to keeping employees, guests and attendees healthy and safe at all events hosted at the OCCC, and we are thrilled to collaborate with organizers like MAGIC who share our commitment to safety," said Mark Tester, Executive Director, Orange County Convention Center. "I experienced firsthand how dedicated the MAGIC Pop–Up Orlando team was to implementing measures to create a safe and controlled gathering, and we worked closely together to achieve that common goal."

While industries and local economies are eagerly looking for opportunities to recover, safety remains a core foundational element of Informa Markets' return to the show floor. Informa helped spearhead an industry–wide approach to safety at trade events, known as the All Secure Standard, which provides guidelines to ensure safety is prioritized at all trade events. The Standard was a collaborative effort that has been adopted across the majority of global trade show organizers with the support of events industry associations and key partners, and has been objectively vetted by a team of medical experts. At MAGIC Pop–Up Orlando those guidelines came to life through open concept booths, widened aisles, 100+ hand sanitizing units and safety ambassadors, as well as mandatory mask–wearing, temperature screenings, and most notably, evidence of a negative COVID–19 test to enter the show floor""the first show of its kind to employ onsite testing in support of visitor safety.

In the weeks after enhanced safety measures, including testing, were announced, MAGIC Orlando registrations soared, signaling that communities are eager to return to the show floor, when both their safety and success are prioritized. While a testing requirement may not be necessary moving forward, Informa Markets sees a continued effort toward targeting qualified audiences and rigorous safety measures as a dual engine in driving economic recovery, not just for the trade show industry, but for the industries and communities they serve and the cities that host their events.

"I think it's powerful that as an industry we have committed to the All Secure guidelines to ensure that we are approaching health and safety with the same rigor," said Kevin Thornton, VP, Operations at Informa Markets. "Now, more than ever, it's important for our industry to work together to prove that we can return to the show floor and that our communities can re–connect in secure ways. Testing may be an important piece of that, but long–term I think the value is really in our shared commitment to events that consistently value safety. Through our collective efforts, we have proven that live events are able to run with visitor health prioritized, signaling a real economic restart for the fashion community, the many other trade industries we serve, as well as the cities that host our events."

In addition to returning to their larger keystone events in 2021, Informa Markets plans to host similar, smaller–scale regional pop–ups in cities across the globe as they begin their gradual return to face–to–face event experiences. The platform organizer also plans to continue a hybrid approach to events to enable broader opportunities for customers to engage and communities to rebuild, both online and on the show floor.

To learn more about the All Secure Standards, visit http://www.informa.com/allsecure. To learn more about testing, visit www.magicfashionevents.com.

ABOUT INFORMA MARKETS
Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. We provide marketplace participants around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face–to–face exhibitions, targeted digital services and actionable data solutions. We connect buyers and sellers across more than a dozen global verticals, including Pharmaceuticals, Food, Medical Technology and Infrastructure. As the world's leading market–making company, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Casey Clemenza
Global Director, Corporate Communications, Informa Markets
Casey.Clemenza@informa.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8184825)

Bombardier Provides 2025 Financial Targets and Highlights Progress on Key Earnings Growth and Cash Generation Drivers at Virtual Investor Day

MONTREAL, March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bombardier (TSX: BBD.B) today will host its virtual Investor Day, during which the company's leadership team will provide its 2025 financial targets and market outlook, as well as highlight progress on the company's actions to drive earnings growth and cash generation. These actions include capturing the value associated with progressing through the Global 7500 aircraft's learning curve; delivering on the previously announced productivity and profitability initiative; executing on the company's aftermarket growth strategy and deleveraging its balance sheet.

Presenters at Investor Day will include:

  • ric Martel, President and Chief Executive Officer;
  • Bart Demosky, Executive Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer; and
  • Jean–Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President for Services, Support, and Corporate Strategy.

Market Outlook and 2025 Financial Targets1

Bombardier expects business jet deliveries to begin a gradual recovery this year. While the company estimates that it will take several years for the market to return to 2019 delivery levels, Bombardier is well positioned in the faster growing large and medium aircraft segments with its Global and Challenger aircraft families. As a result of its past investments, Bombardier is poised to deliver solid financial performance, highlighted by strong earnings growth over the next five years. The company also expects to turn free–cash–flow positive next year and generate more than $500 million in 20252. Specific 2025 financial targets include:

Bombardier 2025 Targets
Total Revenues ~$7.5 billion
Adjusted EBITDA2 ~$1.5 billion
Adjusted EBITDA margin2 ~20%
Free–cash–flow2 >$500 million
Year–end net leverage ~3x

The company's outlook assumes the continued successful roll–out of COVID–19 vaccines, a gradual lifting of international border restrictions and a continued economic recovery. This conservative outlook does not include the potential positive impact from the surge of new customers to private air travel following the onset of the global pandemic.

Balance Sheet Deleveraging

During the Investor Day presentations, the company will provide further details on its debt management strategy. Under its strategy, Bombardier intends to deploy the proceeds from the sale of Bombardier Transportation, prioritizing the pay down of near–term maturities with a focus on 2021 and 2022 tranches. The company is also considering various options to address other debt maturities in an opportunistic manner. The focus will be on clearing a minimum three–year maturity runway, providing the Company a clear path to execute its strategy.

Aftermarket Expansion

With respect to its aftermarket growth strategy, Bombardier will describe how past investments in expanding its worldwide services network and capabilities position the company to capture a greater share of a growing market and further diversify its overall revenues with more resilient and profitable aftermarket revenues. Specifically, the company expects to diversify its revenue mix by growing aftermarket services from ~18% of its revenues in 2020 to ~27% of its revenues by 20253.

Global 7500 Learning Curve

The company will also provide a program update on its flagship Global 7500 aircraft and explain that 2021 marks a significant milestone for the program as it transitions from negatively impacting earnings to being the biggest EBITDA contributor over the next five years. The company is nearing its 50th Global 7500 jet delivery and expects to achieve a 20% reduction in unit cost between the 50th and 100th delivery3.

Productivity and Profitability Initiative

Finally, during Investor Day, Bombardier will provide an update on its productivity and profitability initiative announced last month. The overall goal of this initiative is to make the company more efficient, agile and capable of delivering stronger financial performance under current market conditions, while also establishing a lower cost base for growth once the market recovers. Importantly, the company expects to achieve $400 million in recurring savings by 20233 through labor productivity improvements, reduced corporate costs and indirect spending, and by optimizing its manufacturing footprint.

Webcast Details

Bombardier's Investor Day will begin at 9:00 a.m. (EST) and can be streamed live on Bombardier's Investor Relations website: https://bombardier.com/en/investors/investor–events/2021/investor–day–2021

About Bombardier
Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, creating innovative and game–changing planes. Our products and services provide world–class experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montral, Canada, Bombardier is present in more than 12 countries including its production/engineering sites and its customer support network. The Corporation supports a worldwide fleet of approximately 4,900 aircraft in service with a wide variety of multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments and private individuals.

News and information is available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Bombardier, Challenger, Global and Global 7500 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

(1) This section includes a range of forward–looking statements. See the forward–looking statements disclaimer at the end of this press release as well as the guidance and forward–looking statements section in the Overview section in the MD&A of the Corporation's financial report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, for details regarding the assumptions on which the forward–looking statements are based.
(2) Non–GAAP financial measures. Refer to the Non–GAAP financial measures and Liquidity and capital resources sections in the MD&A of the Corporation's financial report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 for definitions of these metrics and the Analysis of results section thereafter for reconciliations to the most comparable IFRS measures.
(3) See the forward–looking statements disclaimer in the Overview section in the MD&A of the Corporation's financial report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, for details regarding the assumptions on which the forward–looking statements are based.

For Information
Jessica McDonald
Advisor, Media Relations and Public Affairs
Bombardier
+1 514 861 9481

Francis Richer de La Flche
Vice President, Financial Planning and Investor Relations
Bombardier
+1 514 855 5001 x13228

FORWARD–LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release includes forward–looking statements, which may involve, but are not limited to: statements with respect to the Corporation's objectives, anticipations and outlook or guidance in respect of various financial and global metrics and sources of contribution thereto, targets, goals, priorities, market and strategies, financial position, financial performance, market position, capabilities, competitive strengths, credit ratings, beliefs, prospects, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions; general economic and business outlook, prospects and trends of an industry; customer value; expected demand for products and services; growth strategy; product development, including projected design, characteristics, capacity or performance; expected or scheduled entry–into–service of products and services, orders, deliveries, testing, lead times, certifications and execution of orders in general; competitive position; expectations regarding revenue and backlog mix; the expected impact of the legislative and regulatory environment and legal proceedings; strength of capital profile and balance sheet, creditworthiness, available liquidities and capital resources, expected financial requirements, and ongoing review of strategic and financial alternatives; the introduction of, productivity enhancements, operational efficiencies, cost reduction and restructuring initiatives, and anticipated costs, intended benefits and timing thereof; the anticipated business transition to growth cycle and cash generation; expectations, objectives and strategies regarding debt repayment, refinancing of maturities and interest cost reduction; expectations regarding availability of government assistance programs, compliance with restrictive debt covenants; expectations regarding the declaration and payment of dividends on the Corporation's preferred shares; intentions and objectives for the Corporations' programs, assets and operations; and the impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on the foregoing and the effectiveness of plans and measures the Corporation has implemented in response thereto; and expectations regarding gradual market and economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID–19 pandemic. As it relates to the sale of the Transportation business to Alstom, this press release also contains forward–looking statements with respect to the benefits of such transaction, the use of the proceeds derived from the transaction and its impact on the Corporation's outlook, guidance and targets, operations, infrastructure, opportunities, financial condition, business plan and overall strategy.

Forward–looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward–looking terminology such as "may", "will", "shall", "can", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "anticipate", "plan", "foresee", "believe", "continue", "maintain" or "align", the negative of these terms, variations of them or similar terminology. Forward–looking statements are presented for the purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding certain key elements of the Corporation's current objectives, strategic priorities, expectations, outlook and plans, and in obtaining a better understanding of the Corporation's business and anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

By their nature, forward–looking statements require the Corporation to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Corporation's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecast results set forth in forward–looking statements. While the Corporation considers these assumptions to be reasonable and appropriate based on information currently available, there is risk that they may not be accurate. Assumptions underlying the forward–looking statements made in this press release include the following material assumptions: deployment of the proceeds from the sale of the Transportation business to Alstom on terms allowing the Corporation, when combined to other financing sources and free cash flow generation, to repay or otherwise manage its various maturities for the next three years; growth of the business aviation market and increase of the Corporation's share of such market; proper identification of recurring cost savings and executing on our cost reduction plan; optimization of our real estate portfolio, including through the sale or other transaction in respect of real estate assets on favorable terms; and access to working capital facilities on market terms. For additional information, including with respect to other assumptions underlying the forward–looking statements made in this press release, refer to the Guidance and forward–looking statements section in the MD&A which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Given the impact of the changing circumstances surrounding the COVID–19 pandemic and the related response from the Corporation, governments (federal, provincial and municipal), regulatory authorities, businesses, suppliers, customers, counterparties and third–party service providers, there is inherently more uncertainty associated with the Corporation's assumptions as compared to prior years.

Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward–looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks associated with general economic conditions, risks associated with the Corporation's business environment (such as risks associated with the financial condition of business aircraft customers; trade policy; increased competition; political instability and force majeure events or global climate change), operational risks (such as risks related to developing new products and services; development of new business ; order backlog; the transition to a pure–play business aviation company; the certification of products and services; the execution of orders; pressures on cash flows and capital expenditures based on seasonality and cyclicality; execution of the Corporation's strategy, productivity enhancements, operational efficiencies, restructuring and cost reduction initiatives; doing business with partners; product performance warranty and casualty claim losses; regulatory and legal proceedings; environmental, health and safety risks; dependence on certain customers, contracts and suppliers; supply chain risks; human resources; reliance on information systems; reliance on and protection of intellectual property rights; reputation risks; risk management; tax matters; and adequacy of insurance coverage), financing risks (such as risks related to liquidity and access to capital markets; retirement benefit plan risk; exposure to credit risk; substantial debt and interest payment requirements; restrictive debt covenants; reliance on debt management and interest cost reduction strategies; and reliance on government support), market risks (such as foreign currency fluctuations; changing interest rates; increases in commodity prices; and inflation rate fluctuations). For more details, see the Risks and uncertainties section in Other in the MD&A which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Any one or more of the foregoing factors may be exacerbated by the ongoing COVID–19 outbreak and may have a significantly more severe impact on the Corporation's business, results of operations and financial condition than in the absence of such outbreak. As a result of the current COVID–19 pandemic, additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward–looking statements include, but are not limited to: risks related to the impact and effects of the COVID–19 pandemic on economic conditions and financial markets and the resulting impact on the Corporation's business, operations, capital resources, liquidity, financial condition, margins, prospects and results; uncertainty regarding the magnitude and length of economic disruption as a result of the COVID–19 outbreak and the resulting effects on the demand environment for our products and services; uncertainty regarding market and economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID–19 pandemic; emergency measures and restrictions imposed by public health authorities or governments, fiscal and monetary policy responses by governments and financial institutions; disruptions to global supply chain, customers, workforce, counterparties and third–party service providers; further disruptions to operations, orders and deliveries; technology, privacy, cyber security and reputational risks; and other unforeseen adverse events.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future growth, results and performance is not exhaustive and undue reliance should not be placed on forward–looking statements. Other risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Corporation or that the Corporation presently believes are not material could also cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the Corporation's forward–looking statements. The forward–looking statements set forth herein reflect the Corporation's expectations as at the date of this press release and are subject to change after such date. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation expressly disclaims any intention, and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward–looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward–looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8184436)

Hatch celebrates 65th anniversary with release of new campaign, “Positive change: leadership for a better world”

Mississauga, Canada, March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global engineering, project management, and professional services firm, Hatch, is celebrating its 65th anniversary with the release of a new campaign, "Positive change: leadership for a better world." The campaign includes a report, curated video content, and a microsite, which detail how, in the last sixty–five years since the firm's inception, they have changed to meet their clients' evolving needs.

Hatch was founded in the 1950s as an engineering and technology consultancy firm primarily serving the metals and infrastructure sectors. The company's first projects included work on the subway tunnels beneath Toronto for the Toronto Transit Commission and work for Qubec Iron & Titanium's (now Rio Tinto) metallurgical complex in Sorel–Tracy, Qubec. Hatch has pioneered, innovated, and raised the bar in the industries in which we work, partnering with clients in the pursuit of positive change, while simultaneously growing the company to more than 9,000 employees worldwide.

With these commemorative assets, Hatch leaders from around the globe examine how the world is facing its toughest challenges, how our clients have responded, and how the role of engineers has transformed to deliver holistic solutions. The experts tackle issues such as climate change, food accessibility and security, the energy transition, digitization, urbanization, and community engagement, providing their insights into how these challenges are transforming how we work together and lending insight into their visions for the future.

"As "entrepreneurs with a technical soul,' Hatch is uniquely positioned and obligated to tackle the toughest challenges facing our clients, and our world today. Some of the major themes occurring in our market sectors include the energy transformation towards renewable power and decarbonization, infrastructure development towards large, livable cities with sustainable resources, and a shift towards a new, digitized world. The climate change and sustainability solutions we identify in partnership with our clients will not only positively impact their businesses, but the communities and environments we all live and work in," said John Bianchini, Hatch's chairman and CEO.

"Communities, industries, engineers, and advisors will need to come together and demonstrate the leadership that's required to build the world we want and can sustain. Tackling the challenges of the future will require solutions that are bold, innovative, and challenge the status quo," added Martin Doble, Hatch's global managing director of Strategy and Development.

To explore these new insights, click here

–30–

Additional quotes:

"One thing is certain: change is inevitable. Engineering is about solving problems, and the world won't have a shortage of those anytime soon. Never before has society needed engineers, scientists, technologists, and advisors more. Never before has it been more important for businesses to work collaboratively with their host communities and truly engage the people who live in them. But whatever the future may bring, I remain confident that we are ready to take on whatever the next few decades have in store""for us, our clients, and our communities," asserted John Bianchini, chairman and CEO.

"We are in an era of global transition. Our world needs leaders, visionaries, and realists to create practical solutions that will bring a sustainable and resilient future to meet the aspirations of humankind. At Hatch, we are determined and committed to bring our leadership, ingenuity, energy, and strong values to work to achieve positive change together," said Martin Doble, Hatch's global managing director of Strategy and Development

About Hatch

Whatever our clients envision, our engineers can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient, and innovative. We draw upon our 9,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.

Find out more on www.hatch.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8184096)

Guggenheim Investments Ranked as Barron’s Best Taxable Fixed-Income Fund Family

SANTA MONICA, Calif, March 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Guggenheim Investments, the global asset management and Investment advisory business of Guggenheim Partners, has been ranked as Barron's top taxable fixed–income mutual fund family of 2020, out of 53 companies. In its overall fund family rankings, which includes four other asset classes including World Equity, U.S. Equity, Mixed Equity and Municipal Bond, Barron's ranked Guggenheim Investments #2.i The rankings recognize the performance of the firm's flagship Total Return Bond fund (GIBIX) and Macro Opportunities fund (GIOIX).

Published by Dow Jones, Barron's (www.barrons.com) is America's premier financial magazine. The Barron's Fund Families Ranking looks at the one–year relative performance of fund firms that offer a diversified lineup of actively managed mutual funds and ETFs.

"On behalf of our clients and staff, we're honored to be recognized by Barron's for our powerful investment performance in 2020," said Guggenheim Chairman of Investments and Global Chief Investment Officer Scott Minerd. "This recognition of our family of mutual funds, particularly our fixed–income funds, is further validation of our disciplined investment process, which draws on the principles of behavioral finance to mitigate cognitive biases and allows for better decision–making. This process encourages our best research and ideas across specialized teams to be brought together and expressed in actively managed portfolios."

In its rankings, Barron's highlighted Guggenheim Investments' standout performance against the volatile backdrop of 2020. "[T]he $25 billion Guggenheim Total Return Bond fund (GIBIX) returned more than 15% in 2020, and beat nearly all of its Lipper peers. Likewise, the $6 billion Guggenheim Macro Opportunities fund (GIOIX) returned 11.6% to rank at the top of its peer group"Guggenheim is adept at turning market dislocations in its favor. It cleaned up after the 2008–09 financial crisis, and in 2014, following the taper tantrum, the Total Return Bond fund returned 8.3%""outpacing most of its peers."ii

The Guggenheim Total Return Bond Fund grew to over $23 billion as of December 31, 2020. The fund's Institutional Class has led all its peers since its November 30, 2011, inception with a 6.39 percent annualized return, making it the top performing fund out of 355 competitors in the Morningstar Intermediate Core–Plus Bond category over that period based on total returniii. In 2020, the fund returned 15.2 percent, more than doubling the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which returned 7.5%. Guggenheim's total fixed income mutual fund assets totaled more than $37 billion as of December 31, 2020, an increase of 46% since the end of 2019.

The Guggenheim Macro Opportunities Fund grew to over $5 billion as of December 31, 2020. The fund's Institutional Class has led all its peers since its November 30, 2011 inception with a 5.80 percent annualized return, making it the top performing fund out of 118 competitors in the Morningstar Nontraditional Bond category over that period based on total returniii. In 2020, the fund returned 11.56 percent, more than 400 basis points better than the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which returned 7.5%. Guggenheim's total fixed income mutual fund assets totaled more than $37 billion as of December 31, 2020, an increase of 46% since the end of 2019.

To view the Barron's story, please visit https://webreprints.djreprints.com/57993.html

For additional information, please visit www.guggenheiminvestments.com.

About Guggenheim Investments

Guggenheim Investments is the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners, with more than $246 billioniv in total assets across fixed income, equity, and alternative strategies. We focus on the return and risk needs of insurance companies, corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, consultants, wealth managers, and high–net–worth investors. Our 300+ investment professionals perform rigorous research to understand market trends and identify undervalued opportunities in areas that are often complex and underfollowed. This approach to investment management has enabled us to deliver innovative strategies providing diversification opportunities and attractive long–term results.

About Guggenheim Partners

Guggenheim Partners is a global investment and advisory firm with more than $310 billionv in assets under management. Across our three primary businesses of investment management, investment banking, and insurance services, we have a track record of delivering results through innovative solutions. With over 2,400 professionals based in offices around the world, our commitment is to advance the strategic interests of our clients and to deliver long–term results with excellence and integrity. We invite you to learn more about our products, services, expertise, and values by visiting GuggenheimPartners.com and following us on Twitter at twitter.com/guggenheimptnrs.

Media Contact
Gerard Carney
Guggenheim Partners
917.703.6368
Gerard.carney@GuggenheimPartners.com

Average Annual Total Returns (As of 12.31.2020)

Fund 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years Since Fund
Inception		 Gross
Expense
Ratio		 Net Expense
Ratiovi		 Inception
Date
Guggenheim Total Return Bond Fund (GIBIX) 15.24 % 6.78 % 6.61 % 6.39 % 0.57 % 0.51 % 11/30/2011
Guggenheim Macro Opportunities Fund (GIOIX) 11.56 % 4.67 % 5.97 % 5.80 % 1.23 % 1.05 % 11/30/2011
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index 7.51 % 5.34 % 4.44 % 3.5 %

Performance displayed represents past performance which is no guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate so that when shares are redeemed, they may be worth more or less than original cost. Total returns reflect the reinvestment of all dividends. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For up–to–date fund performance, including performance current to the most recent month–end, please visit our website at www.GuggenheimInvestments.com.

This material is distributed or presented for informational or educational purposes only and should not be considered a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product, or as investing advice of any kind. This material is not provided in a fiduciary capacity, may not be relied upon for or in connection with the making of investment decisions, and does not constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. The content contained herein is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal or tax advice and/or a legal opinion. Always consult a financial, tax and/or legal professional regarding your specific situation.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Investments in fixed–income instruments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could rise, causing their values to decline. High yield and unrated debt securities are at a greater risk of default than investment grade bonds and may be less liquid, which may increase volatility. Investors in asset–backed securities, including mortgage–backed securities and collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"), generally receive payments that are part interest and part return of principal. These payments may vary based on the rate loans are repaid. Some asset–backed securities may have structures that make their reaction to interest rates and other factors difficult to predict, making their prices volatile and they are subject to liquidity and valuation risk. CLOs bear similar risks to investing in loans directly, such as credit, interest rate, counterparty, prepayment, liquidity, and valuation risks. Loans are often below investment grade, may be unrated, and typically offer a fixed or floating interest rate.

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad–based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar–denominated, fixed–rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government–related and corporate securities, MBS (agency fixed–rate and hybrid ARM pass–throughs), ABS, and CMBS (agency and non–agency).

Read a fund's prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) carefully before investing. It contains the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information, which should be considered carefully before investing. Obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) at GuggenheimInvestments.com or call 800.820.0888.

i Past performance is no guarantee of future results. In the overall Barron's Top Fund Families rankings for the period ending 12.31.2020, Guggenheim ranked 2 out of 53 companies over the 1–year period; 18 out of 50 over the 5–year period; 29 out of 44 over the 10–year period; and 4 out of 55 in the World Equity category over the 1–year period, Copyright 2021 Dow Jones & Company, All Rights Reserved. Barron's Fund Family Rankings are calculated without the impact of expenses such as 12b–1 fees, front–end loads or sales charges, which would reduce returns. Each fund's performance is measured against all of the other funds in its Lipper category, with a percentile ranking of 100 being the highest and one the lowest. This result is then weighted by asset size, relative to the fund family's other assets in its general classification. To be included in the ranking, a firm must have at least three funds in the general equity category, one world equity, one mixed equity (such as a balanced or target–date fund), two taxable bond funds, and one national tax–exempt bond fund. Single–sector and country equity funds are factored into the rankings as general equity. All passive index funds are excluded, such as pure index, enhanced index, and index–based, but actively managed ETFs and smart–beta ETFs are included. Finally, the score is multiplied by the weighting of its general classification, as determined by the entire Lipper universe of funds. Please see www.barrons.com for more information about the rankings.
ii Based on total return, GIBIX was ranked 4 out 368 funds in the Lipper Multi–Sector Income category for 1 year, 17 out of 323 for 3 years, and 42 out of 298 for 5 years. GIOIX was ranked 1 out of 126 funds in the Lipper Alternative Credit Focus category for 1 year, 22 out of 118 for 3 years, and 23 out of 110 for 5 years.
iii As of 12.31.2020, GIBIX was ranked 29 out of 602, 41 out of 543, and 9 out of 464 funds in the Morningstar Core Plus Fixed Income category for 1, 3, and 5–year periods based on total return. GIOIX was ranked 14 out of 316, 54 out of 269, and 32 out of 240 funds in the Morningstar Core Plus Fixed Income category for 1, 3, and 5–years. 2020 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar, nor its content providers, are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information.
iv Assets under management as of 12.31.2020 and include leverage of $13.7bn. Guggenheim Investments represents the following affiliated investment management businesses of Guggenheim Partners, LLC: Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC, Security Investors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Corporate Funding, LLC, Guggenheim Partners Europe Limited, Guggenheim Partners Fund Management (Europe) Limited, Guggenheim Partners Japan Limited, GS GAMMA Advisors, LLC, and Guggenheim Partners India Management.
v Assets under management are as of 12.31.2020 and include consulting services for clients whose assets are valued at approximately $70bn.
vi The advisor has contractually agreed to waive fees and expenses through 2.1.2022 to limit the ordinary operating expenses of the fund.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8183842)