BALTIMORE, Oct. 24, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The law firm of Law Offices Of Charles J. Piven, P.A. announces that it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of mutual funds managed by Strong Capital Management, Inc (the "Funds") between October 1, 1998 and July 3, 2003, inclusive, (the "Class Period"), seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The deadline for Strong Mutual Fund investors to move for lead plaintiff in a securities fraud class action recently brought against Strong Capital Management, Inc. and Strong Financial Corporation (collectively, the "Strong Funds") is rapidly approaching. If you purchased any of the Strong Funds listed below between October 1, 1998 and July 3, 2003, inclusive (the "Class Period"), and you wish to be a lead plaintiff in the case, you must move to serve as lead plaintiff by filing motions by November 4, 2003.
The following funds are subject to the above class action lawsuit:
Strong Growth Fund (Nasdaq: SGROX - News, SGRKX - News) Strong Large-Cap Growth Fund (Nasdaq: STRFX - News) Strong Growth 20 Fund (Nasdaq: SGTWX - News, SGRTX - News, SGRAX - News, F00B67 - News, SGRNX - News) Strong Advisor Mid-Cap Growth Fund (Nasdaq: F005LQ - News, F005M1 - News, F005LO - News, SMDCX - News) Strong Dividend Income Fund (Nasdaq: SDVIX - News, F008VY - News) Strong Advisor Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SVBDX - News, SADBX - News, SABCX - News, SIBNX - News, F008W1 - News, SBDIX - News) Strong Advisor Municipal Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SMUIX - News, SAMAX - News, SMBBX - News, F00BH8 - News) Strong Advisor Municipal Select Fund (Nasdaq: STAEX - News, F005LZ - News, F005M9 - News) Strong Advisor Short Duration Bond A Fund (Nasdaq: STSDX - News, SSDKX - News, SSHCX - News, STGBX - News) Strong Advisor Common Stock Fund (Nasdaq: SCSAX - News, SCSKX - News, STSAX - News, STCSX - News) Strong Advisor Endeavor Large Cap Fund (Nasdaq: STALX - News, F008GO - News) Strong Advisor Focus Fund (Nasdaq: F005MO - News, F005M7 - News, F005LT - News) Strong Advisor International Core Fund (Nasdaq: F008GQ - News, F008GR - News, F008GS - News) Strong Advisor Large Company Core Fund (Nasdaq: SLGAX - News, F00AO2 - News, F00AO3 - News, SLCKX - News) Strong Advisor Small Cap Value Fund (Nasdaq: SMVAX - News, SMVBX - News, SMVCX - News, SSMVX - News) Strong Advisor Strategic Income Fund (Nasdaq: SASAX - News, F005L7 - News, SASCX - News) Strong Advisor Technology Fund (Nasdaq: F005LM - News, F005LM - News) Strong Advisor U.S. Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund (Nasdaq: F009D0 - News, F009D1 - News) Strong Advisor U.S. Value (Nasdaq: F005M2 - News, F005M5 - News, F005MA - News, SEQKX - News, SEQIX - News) Strong Advisor Utilities and Energy Fund (Nasdaq: SUEAX - News, F00AED - News, F00AEE - News, F009D5 - News) Strong All Cap Value Fund (Nasdaq: F009D5 - News) Strong Asia Pacific Fund (Nasdaq: SASPX - News) Strong Balanced Fund (Nasdaq: STAAX - News) Strong Blue Chip Fund (Nasdaq: SBCHX - News) Strong Discovery Fund (Nasdaq: STDIX - News) Strong Dow 30 Value Fund (Nasdaq: SDOWX - News) Strong Endeavor Fund (Nasdaq: SENDX - News) Strong Energy Fund (Nasdaq: SENGX - News) Strong Enterprise Fund (Nasdaq: SENAX - News, F04ANX - News, SENTX - News, SEPKX - News) Strong Growth & Income Fund (Nasdaq: SGNAX - News, SGNIX - News, SGRIX - News, SGIKX - News) Strong Index 500 Fund (Nasdaq: SINEX - News) Strong Large Cap Core Fund (Nasdaq: SLCRX - News) Strong Large Cap Growth Fund (Nasdaq: STRFX - News) Strong Large Company Growth Fund (Nasdaq: SLGIX - News, F04ANY - News) Strong Mid Cap Disciplined Fund (Nasdaq: SMCDX - News) Strong Multi-Cap Value Fund (Nasdaq: SMTVX - News) Strong Opportunity Fund (Nasdaq: SOPVX - News, SOPFX - News, F00AH2 - News) Strong Overseas Fund (Nasdaq: F00B4I - News, SOVRX - News) Strong Small Company Value Fund (Nasdaq: F009D3 - News) Strong Technology 100 Fund (Nasdaq: STEKX - News) Strong U.S. Emerging Growth Fund (Nasdaq: SEMRX - News) Strong Value Fund (Nasdaq: STVAX - News) Strong Life Stages - Aggressive Portfolio Fund (Nasdaq: SAGGX - News) Strong Life Stages - Conservative Portfolio Fund (Nasdaq: SCONX) Strong Life Stages - Moderate Portfolio Fund (Nasdaq: SMDPX - News) Strong Corporate Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SCBDX - News, SCBNX - News, STCBX - News) Strong Corporate Income Fund (Nasdaq: SCORX - News) Strong High-Yield Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SHBAX - News, SHYYX - News, STHYX - News) Strong Government Securities Fund (Nasdaq: SGVDX - News, F00B66 - News, SGVIX - News, STVSX - News) Strong High-Yield Municipal Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SHYLX - News) Strong Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SIMBX - News) Strong Municipal Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SXFIX - News) Strong Minnesota Tax-Free Fund (Nasdaq: F00B64 - News, F00B65 - News, F00B63 - News) Strong Wisconsin Tax-Free Fund (Nasdaq: F0068K - News) Strong Short-Term High-Yield Municipal Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SSHMX - News, SSTHX - News, STHBX - News) Strong Short-Term Municipal Bond Fund (Nasdaq: F00B62 - News, STSMX - News) Strong Short-Term Income Fund (Nasdaq: F00B1K - News) Strong Short-Term Bond Fund (Nasdaq: SSTVX - News, SSHIX - News, SSTBX - News) Strong Ultra Short-Term Income Fund (Nasdaq: SADAX - News, SADIX - News, STADX - News) Strong Ultra Short-Term Municipal Income Fund (Nasdaq: SMAVX - News, SMAIX - News, SMUAX - News) Strong Florida Municipal Money Market Fund (Nasdaq: SFLXX - News) Strong Heritage Money Fund (Nasdaq: SHMXX - News) Strong Money Market Fund (Nasdaq: SMNXX - News) Strong Municipal Money Market Fund (Nasdaq: SXFXX - News) Strong Tax-Free Money Fund (Nasdaq: STMXX - News)
The wrongful conduct alleged in and which is the subject of one or more of these complaints relates to "timing." As used, "timing" is an investment technique involving short-term, "in and out" trading of mutual fund shares designed to take advantage of inefficiencies in the way mutual fund companies price their shares, particularly shares of international funds. It is alleged, further, that while the mutual fund companies purported to guard against timing, they allowed select investors to time their trades to the detriment of other mutual fund investors and for the benefit of the mutual fund companies.
No class has yet been certified in the above actions. Until a class is certified, you are not represented unless you retain an attorney. If you are a member of any of the proposed classes, meaning, you are one who purchased, redeemed and/or held of any of the mutual funds referenced herein during the period that the conduct complained of occurred, you may be eligible to serve as a plaintiff. To be a member of one or more of the classes, if certified, you need not take any action at this time. You may retain counsel of your choice.
If you are one who purchased, redeemed and/or held any of the mutual funds referenced above during the period that the conduct complained of occurred and want to discuss your legal rights, or if you have information or questions about other mutual fund companies being investigated for improper conduct, you may e-mail or call Law Offices Of Charles J. Piven, P.A. who will, without obligation or cost to you, attempt to answer your questions. Law Offices Of Charles J. Piven has been involved in securities litigation for over ten years. You may contact Law Offices Of Charles J. Piven, P.A. at The World Trade Center-Baltimore, 401 East Pratt Street, Suite 2525, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, by email at hoffman@pivenlaw.com or by calling 410/332-0030.