T. Rowe expands website for advisers

T. Rowe Price Group Inc. today said it has upgraded its website designed for advisers and other financial intermediaries to make it easier for them to do business with the Baltimore-based mutual fund firm. The site’s upgraded investment products area includes information on performance data, portfolio holdings, manager commentary and fund facts, as well as attribution analysis – a look at what securities or market factors are driving a fund’s performance, Bill Weker, vice president and marketing manager, said. T. Rowe’s site also offers advisers sales ideas on topics including advising pre-retirees and behavioral finance. It affords access to fund prospectuses and reports that can be downloaded, and also provides updates o n topics including funds, distributions and taxes, and commentary on issues that affect the market. While information on its funds is widely available from places like Morningstar Inc. of Chicago, the newly enhanced web site provides more in-depth information in a format likely to appeal to the institutional user, such as financial advisers, broker/dealers, clearing firms, banks and defined-contribution record keepers, Mr. Weker said. “It really is an in-depth look at what is going on underneath the hood of the T. Rowe Price mutual funds,” he said. Founded in 1937, T. Rowe had $349.9 billion under management as of March 31.