Louisiana Teachers’ Retirement System, Baton Rouge, hired WEDGE Capital Management to run $315 million in active domestic midcap value equities, said Dana Brown, director of public equities.
The $16.9 billion pension fund issued a solicitation for proposals in February due to the upcoming expiration of current manager Systematic Financial Management’s contract. Systematic rebid.
Other finalists were Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley and Wells Capital Management.
Separately, the pension fund committed up to $75 million to Apollo Natural Resources Partners Fund II, a private equity fund focused on opportunities in energy, metals, mining and other natural resources, managed by Apollo Global Management. The pension fund committed up to $75 million to the first fund in November 2011.
The pension fund also committed up to $75 million to GSO Energy Select Opportunities Fund, an energy fund managed by GSO Capital Partners, the credit-oriented division of Blackstone Group.
The pension fund committed up to $125 million to private equity fund Blackstone Capital Partners VII in April.