FIM introduces a new equity fund

FIM Japan Small Cap will be launched on 7 June 2006. The assets of the fund are invested mainly in equities and equity-linked securities of Japanese companies or companies for which Japan is a key market area in the assessment of the fund management company. The investment targets are companies with a market capitalisation of less than 4 billion U.S. dollars at the time of investment. The fund seeks to capitalise on the greater growth potential of smaller companies. The portfolio manager is Harri Lautjärvi. "The Japanese economy is growing strongly now that the country has overcome its great economic problems. I believe that the Japanese equity market still has, over the long run, a lot to catch up with compared to other markets. During the past few years, the share prices of small companies have in general developed much more favourably than those of larger companies. Last year was an exception, however, as the strong growth of the Japanese equity market was mainly driven by large companies. I feel that this is the right time to set up a fund that invests in Japanese small cap companies", says Harri Lautjärvi, Fund Manager. For additional information, please contact: Niklas Geust, Managing Director, FIM Asset Management Ltd, tel. +358 9 6134 6210 Harri Lautjärvi, Fund Manager, FIM Japan Small Cap, tel. +358 9 6134 6413. About FIM Established in 1987, FIM is a Finnish investment services group that offers asset management, brokerage and investment banking services for private persons and organizations. In addition to the head office, which is located in Helsinki, FIM has regional offices in Espoo, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lahti, Oulu, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa and, as of May 2006, in Riihimäki. FIM also operates in Stockholm and Moscow. The company's net sales in 2005 were 63.2 million euros and operating profit 19.1 million euros. FIM employs approximately 260 persons. www.fim.com.