Pioneer Investments celebrates 80 years anniversary and 5 years successful presence in Bulgaria

Pioneer is the 3rd oldest mutual fund in the US and the 1st one in Bulgaria

According to the last information Pioneer Investments, the Asset Management arm of UniCredit Group, manages over 213 billion euro in more than 180 funds all over the world. The first fund was founded in 1928 by Philip L. Carret and today it is the third oldest fund in the USA. In connection with 80 years anniversary, Pioneer Investments has prepared a special logo to present in public its successful history.

Throughout its eighty-year history, the US Pioneer fund has performed much better than index S&P 500.

This means that 1000 dolars, invested in Pioneer fund when it was founded, to the end of the 2007 have grown into 11 418 593 dolars.

Pioneer Investments is the first Asset Management fund in Bulgaria (the sales of the Luxembourg umbrella Pioneer Funds started in January 2003). Thanks to the partnership with UniCredit Bulbank, which branches and offices offer the funds, to the end of January 2008 the clients invested in Pioneer over 180 million leva (173 million leva are from direct sales and over 7 million leva are from structured deposits). This data figures the leadership position of the Pioneer Investments on the market of local and foreign mutual funds with 19.4% market share up to the end of January 2008.

The main policy of the Pioneer in Bulgaria as well is innovation combined with the products portfolio, which the only on the market covers all investment strategies. For the last five years Pioneer and UniCredit Bulbank launched on the market the following products:

• First Structured Deposit – Аvangard

• First insurance Life (mutual product with Allianz Bulgaria Life)

• Shares as a security

• Combined investment products „Duet” and „Тrio”

Today the investors can choose between 29 sub-funds from the Luxembourg registered umbrellas Pioneer Funds and Pioneer P.F. This is the largest product portfolio on the market, covers all investment strategies on the money market like bond market, bond, equity, fund of funds, capital protected funds, etc.

Pioneer Investments funds are offered through all branches of UniCredit Bulbank.

About Pioneer Investments and Pioneer Alternative Investments

Pioneer Investments is a global investment group with 231.5 billion euro assets to the end of 2007. The Group provides a wide range of investment solutions including mutual funds and structured deposits for different clients groups – institutional investors, intermediaries and private investors around the world. Institutional investors assets in Pioneer are over 60 billion euro.

The Group celebrates 80 years since it was created and Pioneer Fund is the third oldest mutual fund in the USA.

Pioneer Alternative Investments (PAI) is the Group’s hedge fund and has its main operations in London, Milan and New York, Dublin being its investment centre. PAI provides a wide range of hedge funds. PAI manages 5.85 billions euro assets up to the December 2007.

The Group is presented in 25 countries with 2300 employees.

Pioneer Investments and Pioneer Alternative Investments are the trade markes of Pioneer Global Asset Management S.p.A. (PGAM). PGAM is a wholly owned subsidiary of UniCredit Italiano S.p.A.