Loomis Sayles hires new manager for bond strategy

NEW YORK Dec 15 (Reuters) - Loomis Sayles, a leading U.S. bond fund manager, said on Tuesday that it hired fixed-income manager William Stevens to launch and manage a core bond strategy for the firm.

Stevens, who will be based in San Francisco, joins Loomis Sayles from Wells Capital Management, where he was a portfolio manager and co-head of the Montgomery Fixed Income investment strategies.

"I have a high regard for Bill as an investor," Dan Fuss, vice chairman of Boston-based Loomis, said in a statement. "Bill's strategy expands our high-quality capabilities and gives our clients yet another opportunity to invest with us over the long run."

Fuss is co-manager of the Loomis Sayles bond fund (LSBDX.O), which has $18 billion in assets.

Stevens began his investment career in 1984. Early in his career, he worked in the structured product department at Drexel Burnham Lambert.

Before Wells Capital Management, he was president and chief investment officer of Montgomery Asset Management with oversight for all investment-related activities, as well as co-head and founder of the fixed-income division. Wells Fargo acquired Montgomery in 2003. (Reporting by Walden Siew; Editing by Jan Paschal)