As a leading manager of Catholic assets, we’re keenly aware that the Catholic Church and Catholic investors — U.S. and non-U.S. alike — have been looking to CBIS for a more dynamic investment product lineup. In response, we made a strategic decision to significantly increase our resources commitment to the Catholic Responsible Investments Team, nearly doubling our previous expenditures.

We also determined that to cement our leadership position in the Catholic markets, we will need more resources than we could expect to generate through growth. Our solution is a strategic relationship with a global investment consultant and solutions provider to help build out the Investment Team and the CBIS investment lineup.

Tom Digenan, CFA, CPA, along with John Geissinger, CFA, will serve as CBIS’ Co-Chief Investment Officers. Tom and John will be overseeing the service, portfolio management, and impact and justice initiatives.

In anticipation of expanding our non-U.S. business, and as part of our plan to have investment talent outside the U.S., we have begun a search for a Europe-based portfolio manager.

See the announcement here.

Following numerous discussions with leading asset management firms, consultants, and trust companies across the industry, we determined that Mercer, one of the industry’s largest investment consultant and solutions providers, was best positioned amongst its peers to help CBIS meet its product manufacturing needs.

As an extension of the CBIS Investment Team, Mercer will reinforce the integrity of the Catholic Responsible Investments process. Particularly exciting to us is the access to new asset classes and investment strategies this strategic relationship can bring, especially as we execute on our plans to position portfolio management resources outside the U.S.

For more detailed information, go to: Expanded Strategic Relationship with Mercer

The Catholic Responsible Investments Committee has already gone to work on product development, working within this strategic relationship on high-level oversight of the CRI Funds. This combined effort recently effected updates to the CRI Funds. The updates outlined below also impact the Catholic Responsible Investments Magnus 45/55, Magnus 75/25, Magnus 60/40 Beta Plus, and Magnus 60/40 Alpha Plus Funds.

Click on the fund name below for detailed information on these portfolio construction updates, including the reasons behind them.

In total, our commitment to adding resources and scale to the Catholic Responsible Investments Team enables our Catholic investment solutions to be more robust than anything we’ve done in our forty-plus years. CBIS is setting the stage to deliver on its commitment to provide compelling investment opportunities to devoted Catholics around the world. 

Carefully consider the funds’ investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses. This and other information can be found in the funds’ full and summary prospectus, which may be obtained by visiting www.cbisonline.com or by calling 1-866-348-6466. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

There are risks involved in investing, including loss of principal. Asset allocation may not protect against market risk. There is no guarantee that these strategies will result in positive performance. International investments may involve risk of capital loss from unfavorable fluctuation in currency values, from differences in generally accepted accounting principles or from social, economic or political instability in other nations. Investments in smaller companies typically exhibit higher volatility. Bonds and bond funds are subject to interest rate risk and will decline in value as interest rates rise.

Catholic Responsible Investment (“CRI”) is an investment strategy designed specifically to help investors seek sound financial returns while remaining faithful to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. The Funds consider the CBIS’s CRI criteria in its investment process and may choose not to purchase, or may sell, including at inopportune times which would result in losses to the Fund, otherwise profitable investment in companies which have been identified as being in conflict with the CBIS’s CRI criteria. Funds may underperform other similar funds that do not consider CRI guidelines when making decision.

The funds are distributed by SEI Investments Distribution Co. (SIDCO). SIDCO is not affiliated with CBIS, the adviser, or any of the sub-advisers to the funds, including Mercer.