Barings Participation Investors Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.27 per Share

The Board of Trustees of Barings Participation Investors (the “Trust”) met today.  The Trust’s Trustees declared a quarterly dividend of 27 cents per share payable on January 13, 2017 to shareholders of record on December 30, 2016.  The quarterly dividend is considered ordinary income for tax purposes and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-Div.  A 27 cent-per-share dividend was declared in each of the three preceding quarters.

The Trustees also voted to have the Trust retain all remaining net long-term capital gains realized by the Trust in 2016 for future growth and to pay the required federal capital gains tax thereon.  IRS Form 2439, Notice to Shareholders of Undistributed Long-Term Capital Gains, will be mailed to shareholders by the end of January.  The Trust’s 2016 unaudited financial results are expected to be available in late January.

Barings Participation Investors is a closed-end management investment company advised by Barings LLC, a member of the MassMutual Financial Group.  Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol ("MPV").

Cautionary Notice: Certain statements contained in this press release may be "forward looking" statements.  Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made and which reflect management’s current estimates, projections, expectations or beliefs, and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially.  These statements are subject to change at any time based upon economic, market or other conditions and may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of the fund's trading intent.  References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of the fund's current or future investments.  We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. 

About Barings LLCBarings is a $284 billion* global asset management firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients. We build lasting partnerships that leverage our distinctive expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service. A member of the MassMutual Financial Group, Barings maintains a strong global presence with over 1,700 employees and 600 investment professionals across 41 offices in 17 countries. Learn more at www.barings.com.

*As of September 30, 2016

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Brian Whelan, Head of Corporate Communications, 980.417.7700, [e-mail]