Abigail Johnson

Privately held Fidelity Investments, the nation's biggest mutual fund company, on Monday named Abigail Johnson to succeed Robert Pozen as president of its money management arm, Fidelity Management & Research Co. Some analysts said the move could shake things up at the Boston firm. Johnson, 39, the daughter of Fidelity Investments' Chairman and Chief Executive Edward C. Johnson, will succeed Pozen, 54, on June 15, and she is expected to eventually take over for her 70-year-old father.

Fidelity Investments on Friday said that its largest shareholder, Abigail Johnson, long considered a top candidate to succeed her father as chairman and chief executive, sold some of her voting stake in the mutual-fund giant to family trusts. The news raised doubt about whether Abigail Johnson still was the leading candidate to head the firm when her father, Edward Johnson III, retires. Fidelity, which manages $1.1 trillion in assets, didn't say how much of her 24.5% stake was sold.

Fidelity Investments on Friday said that its largest shareholder, Abigail Johnson, long considered a top candidate to succeed her father as chairman and chief executive, sold some of her voting stake in the mutual-fund giant to family trusts. The news raised doubt about whether Abigail Johnson still was the leading candidate to head the firm when her father, Edward Johnson III, retires. Fidelity, which manages $1.1 trillion in assets, didn't say how much of her 24.5% stake was sold.

Fidelity Investments' family owners recently met with financial regulators as the government probes whether gifts were exchanged for business at the world's biggest mutual fund company, according to a published report Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said the Securities and Exchange Commission was looking into tickets that Fidelity Chairman Edward Johnson and his wife accepted from a Wall Street firm to attend a skating event at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Fidelity Investments named Abigail Johnson to run its retirement services business to expand the background of the executive, who is widely expected to succeed her father as leader of the world's largest mutual fund company. Johnson, 43, previously ran the company's investment management unit. Her father, 74-year-old Edward C. Johnson III, is the privately held company's chairman and chief executive.

Fidelity Investments' family owners recently met with financial regulators as the government probes whether gifts were exchanged for business at the world's biggest mutual fund company, according to a published report Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said the Securities and Exchange Commission was looking into tickets that Fidelity Chairman Edward Johnson and his wife accepted from a Wall Street firm to attend a skating event at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Fidelity Investments' new mutual fund chief Robert Pozen named an executive team to run its $300-billion equities investment group that's struggled with sub-par performance and manager departures. Pozen promoted three Fidelity veterans--Abigail Johnson, daughter of the company's chairman; Robert A. Lawrence; and Richard Spillane--to help oversee the equities division.

Fidelity Investments has named a Prudential Financial Inc. executive to its No. 2 position, reviving speculation about who eventually will succeed 77-year-old Chairman Edward Johnson to lead the world's biggest mutual fund firm.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney will be featured as part of a national advertising campaign for Fidelity Investments, the largest U.S. mutual fund management company, the company said Wednesday. Fidelity also will co-sponsor McCartney's 11-week U.S. concert tour, which starts Sept. 16 in Miami. The ad takes viewers through events and accomplishments of the 63-year-old musician's life.

At age 77, Edward "Ned" Johnson III can't keep this pace up forever. But it sometimes seems the Fidelity Investments chief hopes to. Johnson's tenure running the nation's largest mutual fund company has spanned three decades -- the only other change of leadership in 61 years at Fidelity was when Johnson took over for his father.

Fidelity Investments named Abigail Johnson to run its retirement services business to expand the background of the executive, who is widely expected to succeed her father as leader of the world's largest mutual fund company. Johnson, 43, previously ran the company's investment management unit. Her father, 74-year-old Edward C. Johnson III, is the privately held company's chairman and chief executive.

Privately held Fidelity Investments, the nation's biggest mutual fund company, on Monday named Abigail Johnson to succeed Robert Pozen as president of its money management arm, Fidelity Management & Research Co. Some analysts said the move could shake things up at the Boston firm. Johnson, 39, the daughter of Fidelity Investments' Chairman and Chief Executive Edward C. Johnson, will succeed Pozen, 54, on June 15, and she is expected to eventually take over for her 70-year-old father.

Anytime you're looking at mutual fund investments, Shakespeare's question "what's in a name?" should never be too far from your mind. Updated for the 1994 marketplace, the message might read, "Never assume that a fund operates on the philosophy that its name seems to imply." Consider the Fidelity Blue Chip Growth Fund, a $1-billion fund with an impeccable pedigree and high marks from independent advisory services--but also a portfolio that really stretches the definition of "blue chip."

The advisors of two popular small-stock mutual funds said Monday they will close them to new investors, the latest in a series of closures affecting one of the market's few profitable sectors this year. Boston-based Fidelity Investments said its Fidelity Low-Priced Stock Fund won't accept any new investors for six months starting May 16, while Chicago-based Harris Associates said its Oakmark International Small Cap Fund is closing indefinitely starting Friday.