1 July 2010. PRESS RELEASE: Trusted Sources and S&P join forces

New EM research service for wealth managers

Trusted Sources has launched a new partnership with S&P Equity Research Services, a leading provider of stock and sector-specific research. S&P will be the main distributor of EM Judgment, Trusted Sources’ dedicated service for wealth managers. The weekly research helps clients to make decisions on portfolio allocation strategies, to select country-specific themes and to assess risks and opportunities developing in emerging markets. The EM Judgment team is directed by Chief Economist Larry Brainard and draws on the in-country expertise of Trusted Sources’ analysts.

Trusted Sources provides independent research into the political economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRICs) and their global market impact, focusing on country risk and the investment opportunities stemming from policy change. Its team of country analysts also delves into the key sectors and most important themes in these economies to offer insight into how they really work. The service was set up by Nicholas Mather, Christopher Granville, Jonathan Fenby and Larry Brainard in 2007 after distinguished careers in banking, investment research and journalism.

Trusted Sources’ expertise in analysis of the political economies of the BRICs will provide wealth management clients with incisive judgment on key policy developments, events and trends in the BRICs. With China playing an increasingly important role in the global economy, the Trusted Sources’ China team is well positioned to provide astute understanding of the impact of policy developments in China on other economies around the world. Its track record includes accurate analysis of the evolution of China’s economy and currency policy since the 2008 downturn, often against the consensus market view.

Nicholas Mather, a founder and the chief executive of Trusted Sources, says: “In just four years Trusted Sources has established its position as a pre-eminent provider of independent research on the emerging markets. Today most of the world’s growth emanates from these vast new systems. However, owing to their relative immaturity, opaque policymaking and a rapidly changing environment, few investors find it easy to understand how they function and how their impact on global equity, debt and commodity markets should be factored into asset allocation. We have developed EM Judgment specifically for wealth managers alongside our existing BRIC top-down research for our core institutional client base.”

This is the second distribution partnership entered into by Trusted Sources. It joined up in 2009 with Instinet, the leading execution-only brokerage, to distribute independent top-down research on the BRICs to institutional investors in North America.