InvestmentNews announces winners of its Adviser's Choice awards

InvestmentNews today announced the winners of its inaugural Adviser's Choice Awards, which honor financial advisers' top picks for the most outstanding companies and portfolio managers in the mutual fund industry. Financial advisers made Bill Gross of Pacific Investment Management Co. the winner of the Most Influential Fund Manager Award, and also winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Capital Research & Management Co. — managers of American Funds — received the Most Respected Fund Company Award and the Long-term Achievement Award. Winner of the Rising Star Award was Michael Avery of Ivy Funds and Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company. The results were based on an extensive online survey of nearly 800 financial advisers who recommend mutual funds to their clients. The survey of InvestmentNews readers, conducted by third-party research firm LewisClarkBoone of Raleigh, N.C., asked respondents to identify the top fund companies and individual fund managers in five categories: most respected fund company, long-term achievement (fund company), most influential fund manager, rising star fund manager and lifetime achievement (fund manager). Among mutual fund companies, the finalists were: • Most Respected : Capital Research and Management Co.; Pimco; The Vanguard Group Inc. and Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. • Long-term Achievement: Capital Research and Management Co.; Pimco; The Vanguard Group Inc. Among mutual fund managers, the finalists were: • Most Influential: Michael Avery, Ivy Funds and Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company.; Jean-Marie Eveillard, First Eagle Funds; Bill Gross, Pimco • Rising Star: Michael Avery, Ivy Funds and Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company.; Bruce Berkowitz, The Fairholme Fund; John Hussman, Hussman Funds • Lifetime Achievement: William Danoff, Fidelity Investments; Jean-Marie Eveillard, First Eagle Funds; Bill Gross, Pimco