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Legg Mason Press Release | close |
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Citi Strengthens Its Position as Industry's Largest Provider of Separately Managed Accounts Legg Mason Expands as Sub Advisor of Citi SMA Portfolios and Advances Pursuit of Multiple Distribution Platforms New York - February 26, 2008 -- Citi (NYSE: C) and Legg Mason, Inc. (NYSE:LM) today announced a definitive agreement in which Citi Global Wealth Management (GWM) would acquire the overlay and implementation business of Legg Mason Private Portfolio Group (LMPPG), which includes its managed account trading and technology platform. Citi is the industry's top sponsor of Separately Managed Accounts (SMA) and this transaction makes GWM a leading implementation and overlay provider. Roger Paradiso, President and Chief Investment Officer, and Michael Scotto, Chief Investment Strategist, and their team will join Citi in the transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. As clients increasingly invest in Unified Managed Accounts (UMA) and other fee-based multiasset class programs, this transaction represents an important strategic capability for GWM. The technology and talent will improve operating efficiencies and increase customization of GWM client portfolios. This transaction brings "overlay" capability in-house at Citi allowing portfolio construction utilizing SMAs, mutual funds and ETFs in a single account structure. In undertaking this transaction, Legg Mason continues its focus on providing asset management services in an open architecture environment. Over the past year, Legg Mason has increased its number of managers in Managed Account structures. Legg Mason will continue to serve as a sub advisor in Smith Barney's Fiduciary Services program and in the existing Multi-Discipline Account Products (MDAs) it manages today, consistent with
current arrangements. As future programs are built, Legg Mason investment managers may
participate in Smith Barney's fee-based programs in SMA or mutual fund formats. About Citi Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and
does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and
institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking
and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management.
Citi's major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, Banamex, and
Nikko. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.
About Legg Mason Legg Mason is a global asset management firm, with approximately $998 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2007. The company provides active asset management in
many major investment centers throughout the world. Legg Mason is headquartered in Baltimore,
Maryland, and its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: LM).
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