Ariel Investments chief John Rogers went on CNBC on Thursday morning and declared that April was Ariel's best month ever.

"We had the best month by far we've ever had in 26 years," said Rogers, who founded Chicago-based Ariel in 1983 and is a close friend of President Obama, having played basketball with Michelle Obama's brother at Princeton University.

The company's flagship Ariel Fund is up more than 30 percent, said Rogers, Ariel's chairman, CEO and CIO.

"We stuck with our bargain stocks when they were out of favor and bought more," he said.  

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