Gold Award For Standard Life Investments

GOLD AWARD FOR STANDARD LIFE INVESTMENTS Standard Life Investments has received a Gold Award in the Investments category of the annual Financial Adviser Provider Awards 2002. The award was presented at a ceremony at Quaglino's Restaurant, London last night. The award was the result of votes cast by Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs), who were asked to rate companies on: design and innovation, competitiveness and performance, support of the IFA sector, and effective marketing and advertising. This is further good news for the leading investment house which recorded a 70% increase in its mutual funds sales during the 2002 ISA season, despite difficult market conditions which saw industry retail sales as a whole decline significantly. Alan Burton, Managing Director of Mutual Funds at Standard Life Investments, said: "We are delighted that the IFA community has recognised the developments made by Standard Life Investments across our product range. We believe the IFA to be our strategic customer, and as such it is vitally important for us to understand what is of value to the IFA community. ....../continued ....../ "Our customer focused approach has allowed us to make developments in a variety of areas and enabled us to constantly improve our product and service offering to IFAs. Last night's award is a reflection of this." END For further information please contact: Richard England, Press Officer, Standard Life Investments, 0131 245 2750 Joanne Bradley, Head of Communications, Standard Life Investments, 0131 245 7549 Notes To Editors 1. With assets under management of £75 billion (16.11.01), Standard Life Investments is one of the UK's major investment houses and owns around 2% of the UK stock market. 2. Standard Life Investments is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Standard Life Assurance Company, one of only six insurance Groups in the world to have been awarded a "Triple A" rating from Standard & Poor's and Moody's. 3. Investment management for Standard Life Group's investment product range of capital investment bonds and mutual funds is provided by Standard Life Investments. 4. Standard Life Investments' total sales for the ISA season (1.1.02 - 6.4.02) soared to £116.6m in comparison with £68.7m over the same period in 2001. ISA sales administered by Standard Life Investments grew to £45m, an increase of 19 per cent on last year (£37.8m). This year a significant volume of business has been received from Fund Supermarkets (who act as ISA Managers). If these sales are included, ISA related sales are 57% ahead of last year at £71m. 5. The top three selling funds over 1.1.02 - 6.4.02 were as follows: Higher Income Fund - up 149% to £59.7m (2001: £24m) AAA Income Fund - up 281% to £17.9m (2001: £4.7m) Corporate Bond Fund - up 263% to £167m (2001: £4.6m) 6. Standard Life Investments currently holds the 'Fund Strategy Award 2001', supported by Lipper, for the outstanding management of four of its bond funds. 7. The company holds the 'Fund Manager of the Year Award 2001' in the UK Smaller Companies categories section awarded at the Investment Week Awards 2001 for the outstanding management of its UK Smaller Companies Fund. 8. Standard Life Investments operates in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Hong Kong and the USA. Standard Life group also won Gold Awards for Pensions, Mortgages and Protection whilst being named Company of the Year for the 6th year running. Recently retired Group Managing Director Scott Bell was named Chief Executive of the Year. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/05/14/20020514BIT00290/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/05/14/20020514BIT00290/wkr0002.pdf