-- Fundraise underscores the success of Westwood's growing alternative 
      investments platform, which continues to scale and offers 
      differentiated alternative products to institutional clients 

DALLAS, Jan. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westwood Holdings Group $(WHG)$ ("Westwood" or the "Firm"), a boutique asset management firm with more than $18 billion in assets under management and advisement, today announced the final close of Westwood Energy Secondaries Fund II, LLC and two related co-investment funds (collectively "WES II" or the "Funds"), with over $300 million in capital commitments raised. The capital raise far exceeded Westwood's target of $150 million and reflects continued investor interest in Westwood's energy secondaries business. Since Westwood's launch of its initial flagship energy secondaries fund in 2023, the firm has raised nearly $350 million and has invested over $250 million across two energy secondaries flagship funds and three co-investment funds.

WES II aims to achieve attractive, risk-adjusted returns through investments in a diversified portfolio of energy-focused secondary and continuation fund opportunities. WES II's primary focus is on investing in 7-12 year-old limited partnership ("LP") interests at a significant discount in the secondary market, in addition to general partner ("GP") led continuation fund portfolio company investments in upstream, midstream and oil-services companies. The Funds are designed to provide liquidity to institutional investors while partnering with best-in-class energy private equity sponsors in mature LP portfolios and continuation funds. The Funds deployed $200 million in energy investments in 2025 and have approximately $100 million remaining to deploy in 2026.

Strong Investor Demand

WES II received commitments from a diversified group of investors, including institutional allocators, RIAs, family offices and high-net-worth individuals. The final close marks a significant achievement for Westwood Holdings Group and the Westwood energy secondaries strategy, which the Firm launched in 2023.

"We are very pleased by the reception our WES II Fund received from returning and new investors, leading us to double our initial capital target in 2025," said Brian O. Casey, Westwood's Chief Executive Officer. "We are excited about the dynamic partnerships we have established in the energy private equity industry and the opportunities that lay ahead for continued growth in 2026."

Platform Momentum

WES II is the second vintage in Westwood's dedicated energy secondaries strategy. Westwood's energy investment team draws from decades of experience in the energy sector, long-standing relationships with GPs and LPs and a disciplined underwriting approach.

Commenting on the energy secondaries market, Westwood's President of Real Assets and WES II Portfolio Manager Gregory A. Reid said, "The energy secondaries and continuation fund market is experiencing rapid growth driven by evolving capital needs in the industry and institutional investors' increased demand for liquidity solutions on mature, cash-flowing energy assets. The Funds intend to pursue opportunities across the energy landscape and partner with high-quality sponsors seeking strategic secondary capital for limited partners, continuation funds and direct company investments."

ABOUT WESTWOOD HOLDINGS GROUP, INC.

Westwood Holdings Group (NYSE: WHG) is a boutique asset management firm with more than $18 billion in assets under management and advisement, including over $3 billion in public and private energy investments. Westwood offers a diverse array of actively-managed, outcome-oriented investment strategies in public equities, private equity and fixed income strategies. For over 40 years, Westwood's client-first approach has fostered strong, long-term client relationships due to our unwavering commitment to delivering bespoke investment strategies with a vehicle-optimized approach and unparalleled client service. Our flexible and agile approach to investing allows us to adapt to constantly changing markets, while continually seeking innovative strategies that meet our investors' short and long-term needs.

For more information on Westwood, please visit westwoodgroup.com.

Media Contacts:

Catherine Polisi Jones

cjones@polisijones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 14, 2026 08:00 ET (13:00 GMT)