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North Square Investments Expands Mutual Fund Platform with Launch of Kennedy MicroCap Fund

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North Square Investments (North Square), a multi-boutique manager with a range of product offerings, has launched the Kennedy MicroCap Fund (NKMCX), the company announced today.

CHICAGO, Aug. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — North Square Investments (North Square), a multi-boutique manager with a range of product offerings, has launched the Kennedy MicroCap Fund (NKMCX), the company announced today.

“Utilizing a disciplined and consistent investment process, Kennedy Capital has been focused on generating returns in the micro, small, and mid-cap domestic equity markets for their clients for over 40 years,” said Mark Goodwin, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of North Square.

The Kennedy MicroCap Fund is being subadvised by Kennedy Capital Management, a St. Louis, Missouri-based boutique investment advisor focused on micro/small/mid cap equity opportunities.

“Utilizing a disciplined and consistent investment process, Kennedy Capital has been focused on generating returns in the micro, small, and mid-cap domestic equity markets for their clients for over 40 years,” said Mark Goodwin, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of North Square.

“We have followed Kennedy Capital’s investment team closely and recognize their specific expertise and experience in this specific segment of the equity market. We are delighted to launch the North Square Kennedy MicroCap Fund, an important step in building out our diversified retail suite of specialized institutional-quality portfolios, a priority for our clients and the marketplace.”

“We are extremely pleased to be working in partnership with North Square on the Kennedy MicroCap Fund,” said Donald Cobin, CFA®, Kennedy Capital Management President and Chief Executive Officer. “Led by our Chief Investment Officer and Director of Research, our firm utilizes a detail-oriented, bottom-up proprietary research process driven by a team of more than a dozen sector-specific analysts. We believe this level of specialization provides a competitive advantage allowing us to regularly capitalize on overlooked opportunities. Small cap inefficiencies can be amplified within micro caps, offering strong opportunities for value creation,” he added.

The investment objective of the North Square Kennedy MicroCap Fund is to provide capital appreciation. The portfolio manager of the North Square Kennedy MicroCap Fund is Sean McMahon, a 19-year veteran of Kennedy Capital Management. The Fund’s total net assets as of July 31, 2024 were $10.84 million.

The Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of micro-capitalization companies, considered to be companies with market capitalizations generally within the ranges of the Russell Microcap® Index at the time of purchase. As of December 31, 2023, the market capitalization range of the Russell Microcap® Index was between $0.63 million and $7.9 billion. The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common and preferred stock, convertible securities, securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and shares of investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) designed to track micro-cap indices.

“Kennedy Capital was actually founded by former chemical engineers,” noted Phil Callahan, Head of Distribution for North Square. “The firm is known for its intense bottom-up research, and for being equity specialists with global perspectives. We are very excited to offer our financial intermediary partners and their investors access to this high-quality institutional investment adviser.”

North Square is committed to the sourcing, vetting and delivery of institutional, active investment managers to their financial intermediary partners which include broker dealers, wealth management advisors, RIAs, family offices, retirement plans and private banks. North Square believes the firm delivers value to its investment partners by providing support services and access to distribution while assisting distribution partners as they search for high quality, alpha-generating active investment strategies to build better risk-adjusted portfolios for their clients. North Square’s multi-boutique platform includes a mutual fund family and ownership interests in the distinctly branded firms of C.S. McKee and Oak Ridge Investments with collective assets under management and advisement of approximately $12.54 billion (as of June 30, 2024).

About North Square

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, North Square Investments is an independent, multi-boutique investment firm dedicated to delivering differentiated active investment strategies to the market. With an experienced senior management team, a board composed of highly regarded industry veterans and backed by Estancia Capital Partners, North Square is a leader in aggregating high quality, alpha-generating active strategies to assist financial intermediary partners in building risk-adjusted portfolios for the benefit of their clients. Learn more about North Square Investments at https://northsquareinvest.com/

About Kennedy Capital Management

Founded in 1980, St. Louis-based Kennedy Capital Management LLC delivers investment strategies to corporate and public pension funds, endowments, foundations, multi-employer plans and high net worth individuals. As of June 30, 2024, Kennedy Capital Management managed approximately $4.95 billion in assets. The privately held, employee-owned company specializes in the management of small and mid-cap strategies across the growth-value spectrum for its clients that integrates ESG considerations into its research and investment process. Kennedy Capital Management is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, visit http://www.kennedycapital.com.

Kennedy Capital Management LLC and North Square Investments, LLC are investment advisers registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about the companies’ investment advisory services can be found in their respective Form ADV, which are available upon request. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Principal Risks of Investing: Risk is inherent in all investing, including an investment in the Fund. An investment in the Fund involves risk, including the following principal risks, among others: Equity Risk, Preferred Stock Risk, Convertible Securities Risk, Sector Focus Risk, Portfolio Turnover Risk, Market Risk, Micro-Cap and Small-Cap-Sized Company Risk, Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk, Value-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk, Reliance on Technology Risk, Cybersecurity Risk, ETF and Mutual Funds Risk, Real Estate Investments Trust Risk, Liquidity Risk, Currency Risk, Foreign Investment Risk, Emerging Market Risk, Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) Risk, Limited Operating History Risk and Management and Strategy Risk. Summary descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are set forth below. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, carefully consider these risk factors and special considerations associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause investors to lose money. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of the bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

The Russell MicroCap® Index measures the performance of the MicroCap segment of the U.S. equity universe. MicroCap stocks make up less than 2% of the U.S. equity market (by market cap, as of the most recent reconstitution) and consist of the smallest 1,000 securities in the small-cap Russell 2000® Index, plus the next 1,000 smallest eligible securities by market cap.

Before investing, consider the product’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the prospectus, a copy of which may be obtained by calling 855-551-5521. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Distributor.

Media Contact

Martin Gawne, North Square Investments, (312) 857-2167, mgawne@northsquareinvest.com, https://northsquareinvest.com/

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SOURCE North Square Investments

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Air Products to Expand Integrated Gas Supply Network for Semiconductor Manufacturer in Taiwan

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New investment to support next-generation facility expansion

TAIPEI, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Air Products (NYSE:APD), a world-leading industrial gases company, today announced Air Products San Fu has been awarded a long-term agreement to support a semiconductor manufacturer’s expansion in Taiwan. The project will supply multiple new semiconductor fabs and back-end packaging facilities, supporting growing demand driven by artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

Air Products San Fu will build, own, and operate four large state-of-the-art air separation units and bulk gas supply systems with new underground pipeline systems. The company will supply a range of industrial gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and helium to support the customer’s semiconductor operations.

The new underground pipeline systems will be connected to Air Products’ existing pipeline network in Taiwan, further enhancing supply reliability, operational efficiency, and resilience.  

“Air Products is honored to be selected by our strategic customer to support their continued growth, building on our proven track record and strong long-term partnership,” said Paul Yang, President, Air Products San Fu. “This project further reinforces our role as a trusted supplier in Taiwan and reflects our long-term commitment to grow with our customers. It also underscores our world-class performance in safety, reliability and operational excellence, which are critical to meeting the increasingly demanding requirements of the electronics industry.”

Air Products has been serving the Taiwan market through Air Products San Fu for more than 70 years and has established leading supply positions across key science parks with extensive pipeline networks. The company operates one of the world’s largest ultra-high purity nitrogen pipeline systems in Southern Taiwan and is the first gas company in Taiwan awarded ISO9002 and ISO14000 certifications. 

This latest project further strengthens Air Products’ integrated supply footprint across both front-end semiconductor manufacturing and back-end advanced packaging, reinforcing its position as a key supplier to the electronics industry in Taiwan.

Air Products has served the global electronics industry for more than 40 years, supplying industrial gases safely and reliably to many of the world’s leading technology companies.

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE: APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 85 years focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets and generating a cleaner future. The Company supplies essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, medical and food. As the leading global hydrogen supplier, Air Products develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world’s largest hydrogen projects. Through its sale of equipment businesses, the Company also provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers globally.

Air Products had fiscal 2025 sales of $12 billion from operations in approximately 50 countries. For more information, visit airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedInXFacebook or Instagram.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release and are not guarantees of future performance. While forward-looking statements are made in good faith and based on assumptions, expectations and projections that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors, including the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025 and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the assumptions, beliefs or expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any such forward-looking statements are based.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/air-products-to-expand-integrated-gas-supply-network-for-semiconductor-manufacturer-in-taiwan-302831489.html

SOURCE Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

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Air Products to Expand Integrated Gas Supply Network for Semiconductor Manufacturer in Taiwan

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New investment to support next-generation facility expansion

TAIPEI, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Air Products (NYSE:APD), a world-leading industrial gases company, today announced Air Products San Fu has been awarded a long-term agreement to support a semiconductor manufacturer’s expansion in Taiwan. The project will supply multiple new semiconductor fabs and back-end packaging facilities, supporting growing demand driven by artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

Air Products San Fu will build, own, and operate four large state-of-the-art air separation units and bulk gas supply systems with new underground pipeline systems. The company will supply a range of industrial gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and helium to support the customer’s semiconductor operations.

The new underground pipeline systems will be connected to Air Products’ existing pipeline network in Taiwan, further enhancing supply reliability, operational efficiency, and resilience.  

“Air Products is honored to be selected by our strategic customer to support their continued growth, building on our proven track record and strong long-term partnership,” said Paul Yang, President, Air Products San Fu. “This project further reinforces our role as a trusted supplier in Taiwan and reflects our long-term commitment to grow with our customers. It also underscores our world-class performance in safety, reliability and operational excellence, which are critical to meeting the increasingly demanding requirements of the electronics industry.”

Air Products has been serving the Taiwan market through Air Products San Fu for more than 70 years and has established leading supply positions across key science parks with extensive pipeline networks. The company operates one of the world’s largest ultra-high purity nitrogen pipeline systems in Southern Taiwan and is the first gas company in Taiwan awarded ISO9002 and ISO14000 certifications. 

This latest project further strengthens Air Products’ integrated supply footprint across both front-end semiconductor manufacturing and back-end advanced packaging, reinforcing its position as a key supplier to the electronics industry in Taiwan.

Air Products has served the global electronics industry for more than 40 years, supplying industrial gases safely and reliably to many of the world’s leading technology companies.

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE: APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 85 years focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets and generating a cleaner future. The Company supplies essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, medical and food. As the leading global hydrogen supplier, Air Products develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world’s largest hydrogen projects. Through its sale of equipment businesses, the Company also provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers globally.

Air Products had fiscal 2025 sales of $12 billion from operations in approximately 50 countries. For more information, visit airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedInXFacebook or Instagram.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release and are not guarantees of future performance. While forward-looking statements are made in good faith and based on assumptions, expectations and projections that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors, including the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025 and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the assumptions, beliefs or expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any such forward-looking statements are based.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/air-products-to-expand-integrated-gas-supply-network-for-semiconductor-manufacturer-in-taiwan-302831489.html

SOURCE Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

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UOB partners Visa to launch new Visa Infinite tiers across ASEAN in landmark multi-market launch of such scale

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More than 300,000 cardholders will enjoy expanded suite of premium benefits as UOB strengthens its regional leadership in premium payment solutions.

SINGAPORE, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — UOB has partnered with Visa, a global leader in digital payments, to relaunch several card products across its five key markets (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam) under Visa’s newly introduced premium card tiers, Visa Infinite Privilege and Visa Infinite Private.

UOB is progressively upgrading its suite of affluent and high-net-worth (HNW) card solutions to the new Visa Infinite tiers, reinforcing the Bank’s leadership in premium card innovation. With the relaunch, more than 300,000 UOB Visa Infinite cardholders across ASEAN will be upgraded to higher card tiers, giving them access to an expanded suite of premium benefits. All other cardholders will continue to enjoy their existing privileges, with no downgrades across the portfolio. Eligible UOB Visa Infinite cardholders will be notified of their new card tiers via UOB’s official channels from September onwards, with no action required from them.

UOB is currently Visa’s largest card issuer in ASEAN[1] and brings an unparalleled regional footprint and customer base, serving over 8.5 million customers across the region. As the first Visa issuer across ASEAN to execute a launch of this scale across multiple markets, UOB and Visa are setting a new benchmark for regional card offerings, delivering elevated privileges and experiences to affluent cardmembers in the region. This collaboration is timely as affluent spending in ASEAN experiences strong growth. The number of new UOB affluent cardholders[2] grew over 10 per cent year-on-year in 2025, while card billings for this segment surged more than 25 per cent in the same year.

Visa unveiled its refreshed Visa Infinite offering in Asia Pacific on 16 July 2026, reimagined for the evolving needs of today’s affluent consumers. Anchored in a three-tier card suite, the enhanced platform introduces greater flexibility, personalisation and differentiated benefits across the affluent spectrum. In addition to Visa Infinite, the portfolio now includes the newly launched Visa Infinite Privilege and Visa Infinite Private, enabling issuers to deliver more tailored value propositions, experiences and rewards to distinct customer segments within a unified premium framework.

Selected top-tier UOB cardholders across the region will enjoy access to enhanced platform privileges and UOB-exclusive curated experiences, tailored to their respective Visa Infinite tiers. This aligns with UOB’s sharpened customer segmentation approach and enhanced card value propositions, aimed at serving the unique needs of customers by offering exclusive privileges tailored to their lifestyle preferences.

Mr Pratik Bhattacharjee, Head of Group Cards and Payment Products, UOB, said, “As UOB continues to sharpen our customer-centric operating model, we are focused on serving our customers more holistically across the wealth spectrum. Our partnership with Visa marks a significant milestone in this journey, allowing us to deepen our engagement with affluent customers by curating exclusive experiences that money cannot buy. As we continue strengthening our offerings to cater to each customer’s aspirations and lifestyle, our goal is to connect with them through life moments and opportunities that truly matter.”

Mr. T.R. Ramachandran, Head of Products & Solutions for Asia Pacific, Visa, said, “The affluent segment is one of the fastest-growing consumer segments in Asia Pacific, with expectations evolving alongside it. Today’s affluent consumers are seeking experiences that are more personalised, seamless and relevant to their lifestyles. The refreshed Visa Infinite portfolio is designed to meet these changing expectations, and through our partnership with UOB, we are extending these enhanced experiences to affluent customers across Southeast Asia.”

Greater personalisation through tiered privileges

With Visa’s enhanced Infinite tier segmentation, selected cardholders will benefit from more tailored services, differentiated privileges and elevated experiences that reflect their evolving lifestyle needs. This includes access to curated regional and global lifestyle offers as well as premium destination-based travel and dining privileges worldwide as part of the base membership. In addition, selected cardholders will get exclusive access to top-tier concerts and global sporting events like FIFA World Cup™, and reserved entitlements to key lifestyle offerings under Visa Infinite Privilege. At the highest tier, Visa Infinite Private offers bespoke invitation-only experiences highly personalised for ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

Leveraging its deep understanding of affluent customers across the region, UOB will complement Visa’s refreshed benefits with exclusive privileges, curated experiences and value-added offerings tailored to the unique preferences of its cardmembers. For example, selected cardholders will be able to enjoy specially-customised luxury travel experiences and privileged access to curated series of rare timepieces.

Paired with the Bank’s unparalleled regional connectivity, advisory excellence and One Bank ecosystem, this partnership with Visa aligns with UOB’s aim to bring together banking, wealth and lifestyle holistically to all customers. This also furthers the Bank’s ambition to become the Bank of Choice for aspiring customers across ASEAN.

-END-

About UOB

UOB is a leading Asian bank with a global network in Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Operating through our head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, we have a global network of more than 470 branches and offices in 19 markets. Since its incorporation in 1935, UOB has grown organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions. Today, UOB is rated among the world’s top banks: Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA- by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings.

For more than nine decades, UOB has adopted a customer-centric approach to create long-term value by staying relevant through its enterprising spirit and doing right by its customers. UOB is focused on building the future of ASEAN – for the people and businesses within, and connecting with, ASEAN.

The Bank connects businesses to opportunities in the region with its unparalleled regional footprint and leverages data and insights to innovate and create personalised banking experiences and solutions catering to each customer’s unique needs and evolving preferences. UOB is also committed to help businesses forge a sustainable future, by fostering social inclusiveness, creating positive environmental impact and pursuing economic progress. UOB believes in being a responsible financial services provider and is steadfast in its support of art, social development of children and education, doing right by its communities and stakeholders.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at www.visa.com.sg 

[1] Largest card issuer by total billings

[2] Includes UOB Reserve Card, UOB Zenith Card and UOB Visa Infinite cards

 

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SOURCE UOB

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