BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Five Columbia funds -- Absolute Return Currency & Income Fund, AMT-Free California Intermediate Muni Bond Fund, Global Dividend Opportunity Fund, Greater China Fund and Select Large-Cap Value Fund -- have received 2017 Lipper Fund Awards as top-performing mutual funds in their respective Lipper classifications for the period ending December 31, 2016.

• Columbia Absolute Return Currency & Income Fund (I shares)
  
  Absolute Return Funds classification (158 funds¹) – 3 years

• Columbia AMT-Free California Intermediate Muni Bond Fund (Z shares)
  
  California Intermediate Municipal Debt Funds classification (29 funds¹) – 10 years

• Columbia Global Dividend Opportunity Fund (Z shares)
  
  Global Equity Income Funds classification (43 funds¹) – 10 years

• Columbia Greater China Fund (Z shares)
  
  China Region Funds classification (33 funds¹) – 10 years

• Columbia Select Large-Cap Value Fund (R5 shares)
  
  Large-Cap Value Funds classification (245 funds¹) – 10 years

The U.S. Lipper Fund Awards recognize funds for their consistently strong risk-adjusted three-, five-, and 10-year performance, relative to their peers, based on Lipper’s proprietary performance-based methodology².

This is the sixth consecutive year that Columbia Select Large-Cap Value Fund has earned a Lipper Award in the Large-Cap Value category, setting a record for the number of awards received in this category. The fund received the award for 10-year performance in 2016 (290 funds), in 2015 (90 funds), 10-year performance in 2014 (84 funds), for 5-year and 10-year performance in 2013 (102 funds and 84 funds), and for 5-year performance in 2012 (402 funds).

Additionally, this is the second consecutive year that the Columbia Greater China Fund and the Columbia AMT-Free California Intermediate Muni Bond Fund have earned Lipper Awards for 10-year performance in their respective categories.

“We know investors want strong and repeatable risk-adjusted returns and we aim to deliver this through an active and consistent investment approach that is team-based, risk-aware and performance-driven. We are honored that Lipper has recognized these five funds for their consistent, risk adjusted performance,” said Colin Moore, Global Chief Investment Officer.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

About Columbia Threadneedle Investments:

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is a leading global asset management group that provides a broad range of investment strategies and solutions for individual, institutional and corporate clients around the world.

With more than 2,000 people, including over 450 investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia, we manage $454 billion³ of assets across developed and emerging market equities, fixed income, asset allocation solutions and alternatives.

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global asset management group of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP)

For more information, please visit https://www.columbiathreadneedleus.com/. Follow us on Twitter @CTInvest_US.

Source: Columbia Threadneedle Investments, as of 12/31/16.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

¹ Within the respective Lipper classification.

² Lipper rankings are based on annualized total returns and do not reflect sales charges.

³ As of December 31, 2016. Includes all assets managed by entities in the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.

⁴ The fund’s expense ratio is from the most recent prospectus. The investment manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually (for at least twelve months after the date of the fund prospectus) agreed to waive certain fees and/or to reimburse certain expenses of the fund.

⁵ The inception date of Class R5 shares of Columbia Select Large-Cap Value Fund is 11/30/2001. The returns shown for periods prior to this date include the returns of the oldest share class of the fund, adjusted to reflect higher class-related operating expenses, as applicable. In addition, the returns shown include the returns of any predecessor to the fund. Please visit columbiathreadneedle.com/us/investment-products/mutual-funds/appended-performance for more information.

Class Z shares are sold at net asset value and have limited eligibility. Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. offers multiple share classes, not all necessarily available through all firms, and the share class ratings may vary. Contact us for details.

Class I shares are available only to other Columbia funds, such as Columbia Thermostat Fund, a fund-of-funds and are not available to individual investors.

The performance information shown represents past performance and is not a guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that the shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance information shown. You may obtain performance information current to the most recent month-end by visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

The Lipper Fund Awards are part of the Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence, a global family of awards that celebrate exceptional performance throughout the professional investment community. The Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence recognize the world's top funds, fund management firms, sell-side firms, research analysts, and investor relations teams. The Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence also include the Extel Survey Awards, the StarMine Analyst Awards, and the StarMine Broker Rankings. For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit excellence.thomsonreuters.com.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a mutual fund carefully before investing. For a free prospectus or a summary prospectus, which contains this and other important information about the funds, visit columbiathreadneedle.com/us. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Columbia Absolute Return Currency & Income Fund: Absolute return funds are not designed to outperform stocks and bonds in strong markets. Market risk may affect a single issuer, sector of the economy, industry or the market as a whole. The fund’s long and short exposures to currencies, including foreign currencies, subject the fund to substantial exposure to currency fluctuations, which can be highly volatile. Numerous factors can impact the value of a country’s currency, including interest rates, inflation, and political, market, economic, social and other conditions such as the perceived or actual ability or willingness of a sovereign or its instrumentalities to provide support for the sovereign’s currency. Volatility of currency fluctuations can result in large one-time fund gains or losses (e.g., the dramatic one-time appreciation of the Swiss Franc in early 2015), and any gains may not be sustainable.

Columbia AMT-Free California Intermediate Muni Bond Fund: Investment risks Fixed-income securities present issuer default risk. The fund invests substantially in municipal securities and will be affected by tax, legislative, regulatory, demographic or political changes, as well as changes impacting a state’s financial, economic or other conditions. A relatively small number of tax-exempt issuers may necessitate the fund investing more heavily in a single issuer and, therefore, be more exposed to the risk of loss than a fund that invests more broadly. The value of the fund’s portfolio may be more volatile than a more geographically diversified fund. Prepayment and extension risk exists because a loan, bond or other investment may be called, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and similar yielding investments may not be available for purchase. A rise in interest rates may result in a price decline of fixed-income instruments held by the fund, negatively impacting its performance and NAV. Falling rates may result in the fund investing in lower yielding debt instruments, lowering the fund’s income and yield. These risks may be heightened for longer maturity and duration securities. Non-investment-grade (high-yield or junk) securities present greater price volatility and more risk to principal and income than higher rated securities. Market risk may affect a single issuer, sector of the economy, industry or the market as a whole. Federal and state tax rules apply to capital gain distributions and any gains or losses on sales. Income may be subject to state or local taxes. Liquidity risk is associated with the difficulty of selling underlying investments at a desirable time or price.

Columbia Global Dividend Opportunity Fund: Market risk may affect a single issuer, sector of the economy, industry or the market as a whole. International investing involves certain risks and volatility due to potential political, economic or currency instabilities and different financial and accounting standards. Risks are enhanced for emerging market issuers. Value securities may be unprofitable if the market fails to recognize their intrinsic worth or the portfolio manager misgauged that worth. Investing in derivatives is a specialized activity that involves special risks, which may result in significant losses or limited gains.

Columbia Greater China Fund: Market risk may affect a single issuer, sector of the economy, industry or the market as a whole. International investing involves certain risks and volatility due to potential political, economic or currency instabilities and different financial and accounting standards. Risks are enhanced for emerging market issuers. Concentration in the Greater China region, where issuers tend to be less developed than U.S. issuers, presents increased risk of loss than a fund that does not concentrate its investments. Investments in small- and mid-cap companies involve risks and volatility greater than investments in larger, more established companies. As a non-diversified fund, fewer investments could have a greater effect on performance.

Columbia Select Large Cap-Value Fund: Market risk may affect a single issuer, sector of the economy, industry or the market as a whole. Value securities may be unprofitable if the market fails to recognize their intrinsic worth or the portfolio manager misgauged that worth. Investments in a limited number of companies subject the fund to greater risk of loss. The fund may invest significantly in issuers within a particular sector, which may be negatively affected by market, economic or other conditions, making the fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in the sector.

Investment products are not federally or FDIC-insured, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by, any financial institution and involve investment risks, including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value.

Columbia Funds are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., member FINRA. Advisory services provided by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC.

Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.

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