Gestion FÉRIQUE announces change to FÉRIQUE EQUITY, FÉRIQUE BALANCED and FÉRIQUE MODERATE BALANCED Funds

MONTREAL, March 19, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Gestion FÉRIQUE (www.ferique.com), as Manager of FÉRIQUE Funds, announced today that, on or about April 30, 2012, the portion of its FÉRIQUE EQUITY Fund which is currently managed by Natcan Investment Management Inc. ("Natcan"), will be managed by Fiera Sceptre Inc. ("Fiera").

This change follows the announcement by National Bank of Canada and Fiera that they have entered into an asset purchase agreement under which Fiera will acquire Natcan's business from National Bank of Canada. Natcan's operations will be fully integrated into Fiera's existing business. The transaction is subject to various conditions, including obtaining regulatory approvals, the signing of ancillary agreements and the approval of Fiera's Class A shareholders. An annual and special meeting of Fiera's Class A shareholders is to be held for this purpose on March 29, 2012. Upon closing of the transaction, the firm will change its name to Fiera Capital.

To reflect this change, related modifications will be made to FÉRIQUE BALANCED Fund and FÉRIQUE MODERATE BALANCED Fund, which both invest in the FÉRIQUE EQUITY Fund in a proportion of 15% and 10% of their total assets, respectively.

Launched in 1974, FÉRIQUE EQUITY Fund is one of 131 funds with more than a 25-year history in a universe of 6,388 Canadian funds. Totalling $507 million as of February 29, 2012, the Fund is managed equally by three portfolio advisers who use complementary investment management styles.   For the second year in a row, FÉRIQUE EQUITY Fund has been given a Lipper Award, Canada-wide recognition underlying its above-average, risk-adjusted returns over five years. The management expense ratio for FÉRIQUE EQUITY Fund is 0.84%, the median for Canadian funds in the same asset category being 2.37% (PALTrak survey, owned by Morningstar Research Inc. as of February 29, 2012).

Manon Duhamel, Gestion FÉRIQUE, 514-840-9206, ext. 450