Client:

• 10b5-1 execution group at top five 144 broker

    Challenge:

• Restricted securities cannot be sold under Rule 144 if company is delinquent in filing annual or quarterly reports
• Client seeks to integrate company filing status into custom in-house 10b5-1 trading systems

    Solution:

• The Washington Service designs and hosts web service that seamlessly integrates into client’s existing 10b5-1 trading system
• Prior to executing any 144 trade, client’s system checks the filing status of company via The Washington Service’s secure web service

    Benefits:

• Saves time by eliminating need for trader to manually ascertain company filing status
• Reduces legal exposure from potential execution of 144 trades in delinquent companies

    Client:

• Small cap portfolio manager of a $1.75 billion fund at an asset manager with $1.1 trillion under management

    Challenge:

• Screen recent insider trading activity for new investment candidates using proprietary criteria based upon insider relation, historical activity, and market cap
• Use custom metrics to monitor insider selling levels of companies held in the fund

    Solution:

• The Washington Service works with manager to refine and improve their original proprietary criteria
• The Washington Service designs and implements Weekly New Ideas Report and Daily Insider Sales Report

    Benefits:

• Concise custom reports that deliver only what is relevant to the manager in a custom format designed for maximum utilization
• Greatly increased accuracy of reports as the information contained is acquired using The Washington Service’s proprietary quality assurance processes
• Cost to outsource project to The Washington Service is lower than client’s in-house cost

    Client:

• Fixed income group with $400 billion in assets

    Challenge:

• Monitor EDGAR filings of portfolio companies for disclosure of new credit agreements or modifications to existing credit agreements
• Client’s dedicating of in-house staff to manually monitor EDGAR filings was not cost-effective and was an unsustainable drain on internal resources

    Solution:

• The Washington Service applies technology expertise in conjunction with in-house EDGAR researchers to allow client to outsource the entire credit agreement monitoring project

    Benefits:

• Improved quality and speed in getting credit agreements to analysts
• Client’s staff and resources are now able to focus on higher value activities in the investment decision process
• Cost to outsource project to The Washington Service is lower than client’s in-house cost

    Client:

• Compliance department at asset manager with $1.1 trillion under management

    Challenge:

• Client manages mutual fund comprised of a group of exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
• Per fund prospectus, managers can not include ETFs that charge marketing and promotion (12b-1) fees
• Many ETFs waive the right to charge 12b-1 fees, but this is subject to change at any time

    Solution:

• The Washington Service research staff monitors filings of over 250 ETFs on daily basis for any changes in 12b-1 fee status
• Client immediately contacted if any change in 12b-1 status occurs
• Client receives monthly report on 12b-1 status for all ETFs

    Benefits:

• Compliance department able to keep fund managers apprised of any ETFs that should not be included in the fund
• Ensures that fund is managed per the terms of its prospectus