Guinness Atkinson Asia Focus Fund (IASMX)

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guinness Atkinson Asset Management, advisor to the Guinness Atkinson funds, today announced the launch of the Renminbi Yuan & Bond Fund (GARBX), the first traditional open-end mutual fund to invest directly in bonds denominated in the Chinese currency, Renminbi (RMB). The fund will be managed by Edmund Harriss, the company’s veteran China fund manager who has also managed the Guinness Atkinson China & Hong Kong Fund (ICHKX) since 1998. The June 2011 issue of Asia Brief published by Guinness Atkinson provides a detailed overview of the Renminbi bond market. “We are pleased to bring our long-time China investing experience to this exciting new asset class, providing investors with an additional way to participate in the world’s second largest economy during this new stage of its development,” said Jim Atkinson, CEO of Guinness Atkinson Asset Management. “As China begins to promote an internationally tradable currency, this fund should appeal to emerging market bond fund investors looking to diversify their currency exposure while seeking a way to participate in China’s bond market,” he added. The fund’s investment strategy combines evaluation of global macroeconomic conditions with in-house credit analysis based on study of company fundamentals. The fund will employ proprietary modelling screens to support the portfolio management team’s credit analysis. The strategy’s active approach and structure as a mutual fund provides the portfolio management team with a high level of flexibility in executing buy and sell decisions in changing market conditions. China’s credit and currency markets have seen gradual but dramatic changes over the last several years. A series of administrative changes in Chinese policy from 2009 has enabled and encouraged companies to settle trade in Renminbi (RMB) and not US Dollars. Since the latest amendment to these changes, which expanded companies abilities to trade in RMB in July 2010, RMB deposits have grown at an astonishing pace. Many companies now prefer to settle trade in RMB, which is on a rising trend against the dollar. These agreements have created a framework which, driven by the sheer weight of China’s global economic presence, resulted in a new functioning foreign exchange market in RMB, in less than nine months. The growing pool of RMB deposits together with the permissions granted in the July 2010 agreement have now opened the way for companies to tap this pool for debt funding. Several multinational corporations, including Caterpillar Inc. (CAT), McDonald's Corporation (MCD) and Unilever plc (UL) have issued bonds in this emerging market. “The rapid growth in these debt instruments issued by corporations, both Chinese and overseas, has surprised most onlookers, making it now not only possible but practical for US investors to buy them,” said Edmund Harriss, portfolio manager of the fund. “Our belief is that the RMB may continue to appreciate against the US dollar based on the strength of China’s trade position and on the relative strength of its national indebtedness compared to the US and Europe. The demand for these instruments is clear as new issuance has been healthy, and the variety and quantity of issues has continued to grow from both Asia and the West.” About Guinness Atkinson Asset Management The Guinness Atkinson family of funds is designed to help investors capitalize on innovation and profound change, including long term global trends such as the development of emerging Asian markets, the transformation of the manufacturing economy to a New Economy and the long-term rise in energy prices. The Guinness Atkinson Renminbi Yuan & Bond Fund (GARBX) joins a suite of Asia equity strategies including the Asia Focus Fund (IASMX), the Asia Pacific Dividend Fund (GAADX) and China & Hong Kong Fund (ICHKX). Guinness Atkinson also offers two energy strategies, the Global Energy (GAGEX) and Alternative Energy (GAAEX) Funds, in addition to the Global Innovators Fund (IWIRX). The Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory and summary prospectuses contain this and other important information about the investment company, and they may be obtained by calling 800-915-6565, or visiting gafunds.com. Read it carefully before investing. Mutual fund investing involves risk and loss of principal is possible. Investments in foreign securities involve greater volatility, political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods. Non-diversified funds concentrate assets in fewer holdings than diversified funds. Therefore, non-diversified funds are more exposed to individual stock volatility than diversified funds. Investments in debt securities typically decrease in value when interest rates rise, which can be greater for longer-term debt securities. The Fund may invest in derivatives which involves risks different from, and in certain cases, greater than the risks presented by traditional investments. Diversification does not assure a profit nor protect against loss in a declining market. As of 6/30/2011 the fund held no positions in Caterpillar, Inc., McDonald’s Corp., or Unilever PLC. Fund holdings and sector allocations are subject to change and should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. Distributed by Quasar Distributors, LLC

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guinness Atkinson Asset Management is pleased to announce that the Guinness Atkinson Asia Focus Fund (IASMX) has received a Lipper Fund Award for best 10-year, risk adjusted performance among 21 Pacific/Ex-Japan funds for the period ending 12/31/2010. The fund, which is managed by Edmund Harriss and James Weir, was best in its category for demonstrating consistently strong risk-adjusted returns compared with its peers. Lipper, a Thomson Reuters company, presented the award to Guinness Atkinson at a ceremony in New York on March 23, 2011. “We are honored to receive this prestigious award as recognition of our team’s long-term and systematic investment process, which focuses on investing in Asian companies based on operational performance, stock valuation and market sentiment,” said Edmund Harriss, lead manager of the Fund. He added, “At the heart of the fund’s success lies rigorous structured analysis that provides us with a high level of conviction and allows us to build a concentrated portfolio of best ideas with an average holding period of three years.” Harris also pointed out that the next major opportunities for investors in Asia will likely come from the transformation of Asian economies into consumer-driven societies, presenting investors with a potential to tap into industries benefiting from growing disposable income of Asia’s households. This transformation has only entered early stages in China and Indonesia, Asia’s most populous countries. The Asia Focus fund is part of the firm’s focus on investment themes that capitalize on shifting global landscape throughout the 21st Century. In addition to several emerging Asia investment strategies managed by Harriss and Weir, Guinness Atkinson also offers multiple strategies for investors seeking to potentially profit from the changing energy landscape and a Global Innovators fund which focuses on companies benefiting from advances in technology, communication and globalization. About Guinness Atkinson Guinness Atkinson Funds are designed to help investors capitalize on the profound rate of innovation and change that characterize the 21st Century, including long term global trends such as the development of emerging Asian markets, the continually transforming corporate landscape and the traditional and alternative energy sources that fuel economic development. Optimistic about these global trends, Guinness Atkinson invests in human progress. About Lipper Fund Awards The Lipper Fund Awards are part of the Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence, a global family of awards that celebrate exceptional performance throughout the professional investment community. The Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence recognize the world's top funds, fund management firms, sell-side firms, research analysts, and investor relations teams. For more information, please contact markets.awards@thomsonreuters.com or visit excellence.thomsonreuters.com Past performance does not guarantee future results. The fund has experienced recent negative performance. Visit www.gafunds.com for fund performance. The Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory and summary prospectuses contain this and other important information and can be obtained by calling 800-915-6565 or visiting www.gafunds.com. Read and consider it carefully before investing. Mutual fund investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. The Guinness Atkinson Asia Focus Fund invests in foreign securities which will involve greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods. The Fund is non-diversified meaning its assets may be concentrated in fewer individual holdings than diversified funds. Therefore, the Fund is more exposed to individual stock volatility than diversified funds. The Fund also invests in smaller companies, which will involve additional risks such as limited liquidity and greater volatility. A Lipper Fund Award is awarded to one fund in each Lipper classification for achieving the strongest trend of consistent risk-adjusted performance against its classification peers over a three, five or ten-year period. Although Lipper makes reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, the accuracy is not guaranteed by Lipper. Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. is an independent mutual fund research and rating service. Quasar Distributors, LLC