SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire -08/08/12)-

• The Russell 1000® Index of U.S. large cap stocks returned 11.9% for the year-to-date as of August 6th, with Consumer Discretionary (+15.6%), Technology (+15.5%) and Financial Services (+15.3%) leading all sectors within the Index for this time period.
  
  

• The Russell 2000® Index of U.S. small cap stocks returned 8.1% for the year-to-date as of August 6th, with Healthcare (+17.2%), Financial Services (+12.9%) and Consumer Discretionary (+11.1%) leading all sectors within the Index for this time period.
  
  

• "It is interesting to see that U.S. financial stocks have stayed resilient, seemingly shrugging off the news about the so-called 'Knight-mare on Wall Street,' returning +2.3% and +2.6% in the Russell 1000, and Russell 2000 in the last two days, respectively," said Tom Goodwin, senior research director with Russell Indexes. "And, even more important, the Financial Services sector delivered strong performance all year across both large and small-caps, despite well publicized issues involving JP Morgan, Nasdaq, BATS, Barclays and MF Global."
  
  

Russell 1000 Index & Russell 2000 Index: 2012 Year-To-Date Performance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return Last 2 Return Last 5 trading days trading days (August 3rd- (July 31st- YTD 2012 (as of Index / Sector August 6th) August 6th) August 6th) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Russell 1000 2.2% 0.7% 11.9% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sector Returns ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technology 3.1% 2.7% 15.5% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial Services 2.3% 0.6% 15.3% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Utilities 0.7% -0.6% 13.1% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Health Care 1.2% -0.4% 13.4% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consumer Discretionary 2.3% 0.6% 15.6% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consumer Staples 1.5% -0.1% 10.3% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Energy 2.6% 0.1% 2.3% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Materials & Processing 2.9% 1.0% 7.4% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Producer Durables 2.4% 0.7% 8.9% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index / Sector Return Last 2 Return Last 5 trading days trading days (August 3rd- (July 31st- YTD 2012 (as of August 6th) August 6th) August 6th) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Russell 2000 3.4% 0.4% 8.1% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sector Returns ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technology 4.4% 2.0% 2.9% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial Services 2.6% 0.2% 12.9% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Utilities 1.9% -0.4% 4.9% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Health Care 2.2% -2.0% 17.2% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consumer Discretionary 3.4% 0.1% 11.1% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consumer Staples 2.4% 0.1% 7.3% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Energy 6.0% 0.6% -8.6% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Materials & Processing 4.6% 2.6% 6.8% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Producer Durables 3.7% 0.7% 3.2% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: Russell Investments
The Russell Global Index includes more than 10,000 securities in 48 countries and covers 98% of the investable global market. All securities in the index are classified according to size, region, country and sector. Daily Returns for the main components are available here: http://www.russell.com/indexes/data/daily_total_returns_global.asp

Please note: Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly. Returns represent past performance, are not a guarantee of future performance, and are not indicative of any specific investment. Russell's publication of the Indexes or Index constituents in no way suggests or implies a representation or opinion by Russell as to the attractiveness of investing in a particular security. Inclusion of a security in an Index is not a promotion, sponsorship or endorsement of a security by Russell and Russell makes no representation, warranty or guarantee with respect to the performance of any security included in a Russell Index.

Returns provided are US dollar-denominated.

Opinions expressed by Mr. Goodwin reflect market performance and observations as of August 6, 2012 and are subject to change at anytime based on market or other conditions without notice. Please remember that past performance does not guarantee future performance.

Nothing contained in this material is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type. The general information contained in this publication should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax and investment advice from a licensed professional.

Russell Investment Group is a Washington, USA corporation, which operates through subsidiaries worldwide, including Russell Investments, and is a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.
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