Conning history

In 1920, Conning & Company installed a bond ticker and moved into a newly constructed building on Lewis Street in Hartford.

In January 1923, Conning Realty Company was incorporated for $50,000 by Conning, Goeben, Mitchell and Charles T. Treadway.

Two of the oldest investment firms in Hartford joined forces when Conning & Company merged with Ballard & Company on December 4, 1942, to become Conning & Company and Ballard.

In 1950, Conning & Company began offering insurance stock research and advice to institutional investors.

After Conning & Company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1962, the firm continued to emphasize research and education.

In 1968, the firm became a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC.

By 1974, the firm had 13 Partners and 60 employees operating in Hartford with a subsidiary, Fox-Pitt Kelton Inc., headquartered in London.

In August 1998, Conning Asset Management acquired Schroeder Mortgage Associates LP, a small real estate investment company in Manhattan.

In 1999, Forbes ranked Conning Corp.

In 2000, MetLife acquired Conning Corp. and took it private, paying $12.50 a share in cash.

Swiss Reinsurance Company acquired Conning Corp. in July 2001 to build the third-party asset management business.

In 2002, Swiss Re Asset Management's Americas’ asset liability management unit came under Conning’s control with 20 employees relocating to Hartford.

In the first six months of 2003, the company spun out Schroeder Mortgage and Conning Capital Partners in MBOs.

Also in 2004, Conning & Company acquired Conning Research & Consulting, Inc. a research business from its affiliate Fox-Pitt, Kelton, Inc.

In October 2009, Aquiline Capital Partners acquired Conning & Company from Swiss Reinsurance Company.

In 2010, Conning launched its High-Dividend Equity Fund strategy and acquired the assets of DFA Capital Management, a market leader in economic, capital markets and risk modeling software.

On September 20, 2011, Conning and Cathay Financial Holdings received regulatory approval for their previously announced joint venture to form a new Hong Kong-headquartered asset management company, now known as Conning Asia Pacific Limited.

In June 2014, Conning completed the acquisition of certain assets of Brookfield Investment Management Inc.’s Core Fixed Income Insurance Business.

On September 18, 2015, Cathay Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (TWSE: 2882), completed its acquisition of Conning through its subsidiary, Cathay Life Insurance Co, Ltd.

On January 31, 2016, Conning acquired Octagon Credit Investors, LLC ("Octagon"), a United States-based investment manager with expertise in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), bank loans and high yield bonds.