5.15.2006 ET

(CSRwire) PORTLAND, Maine--Lehigh University's Financial Services Laboratory today announced the winners of its ethical investing contest, including a top-performing portfolio that significantly exceeded the returns of the Standard & Poor's 500.

The four winners were Chris Huether, whose portfolio returned 14.8 percent over the course of the 160-day event compared to 7.71 percent for the Standard & Poor's 500 over the same period; Tom Blank, whose portfolio returned 7.6 percent, and the team of Chris Czyzewski and Katie Murray, whose portfolio climbed 7.2 percent. For his winning effort, Huether received a cash prize of $225.

Under the rules of the contest, participating Lehigh University students and student groups were given a hypothetical $500,000 to invest in 20 stocks and asked to create an investing profile based on self-defined social and ethical criteria. The profiles were entered into IWF Advisor from IW Financial, which then provided a rating of the stocks in the S&P based on these criteria. In addition to risk-adjusted portfolio returns, contestants were judged based on a paper submitted along with the investing results.

In assembling his winning portfolio, Huether created a uniquely varied set of investing criteria, placing a positive value on companies with a strong human rights record, a constructive work environment, that support national defense and that encourage minority leadership. He excluded companies that produce contraceptives.

"Given the uncertainties in today's world, I viewed companies involved in national defense as important contributors both to the economy and to the well-being of the country as a whole," said Huether. "At the same time, I did not want to overlook the other characteristics that I believe are vital to a well-run company, including protections for human rights and a generally positive work environment for all employees."

Based on those criteria, Huether used IW Financial's tool to construct a diverse portfolio that included major defense contractors like General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing as well as consumer products companies such as Proctor & Gamble and Colgate Palmolive.

"IW Financial's tools give investors significant flexibility to define the issues that are most important to them. Chris used this to build a very interesting portfolio that also managed to substantially outperform the broader market. It was a very compelling performance on his part," said Sam Pierce, chief executive officer at IW Financial.

Contest participants included the Student Alliance of Latinos and South Americans, JCY Global, a global MBA marketing class and three fraternities and sororities - Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Alpha, and Phi Delta Gamma. A number of individual students competed as well.

"We hope that all the participants learned that their ethics and values need not be confined to their personal lives; they can be profitably incorporated into their financial lives as well," said Professor David H. Myers, director of the lab.

Lehigh established the Financial Services Laboratory in 2004, and anticipates that more than 5,200 students will pass through the lab this year. The lab includes three large screens used to simulate a Wall Street trading floor and provides connectivity to this market through laptop computers.

IW Financial is a leading provider of software tools that allow money managers and financial advisors to quickly and efficiently analyze investment opportunities based on corporate practices and corporate governance research. Software from IW Financial combines this research with client-specified investment guidelines to help users quickly evaluate the investment suitability of publicly-traded equity securities.

About IW Financial

Founded in 2000, IW Financial is a leading provider of objective research and analytics on corporate practices and corporate governance. The company's technology solutions enable financial professionals to manage risk, comply with client guidelines, differentiate their services and strengthen relationships with clients. IW Financial offers research to money management firms, advisors and institutional investors through the IWF Workstation technology platform.

IW Financial is based in Portland, Maine. For more information, visit www.iwfinancial.com.

About Lehigh

For nearly 140 years, Lehigh University (www.lehigh.edu) has combined outstanding academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research. The institution is among the nation's most selective, highly ranked private research universities. Lehigh's four colleges - College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Economics, College of Education and the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science - provide opportunities to 6,500 students to discover and grow in a learning community that promotes interdisciplinary programs with real-world experience. Lehigh's campus is located in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley - in Bethlehem, PA (50 miles north of Philadelphia and 75 miles southwest of New York City).

For more information please contact: