ESG

Stephen Bruce is a director, portfolio manager and head of research at Perennial Value. He joined as an equities analyst in April 2000 and was promoted to the role of research coordination/senior equities analyst and assumed the role of deputy portfolio manager for the Perennial Value Shares for Income Trust in 2006. In 2011, he…

The United States’ re-signing of the Paris Climate Agreement under President Biden, combined with a strengthening commitment on carbon emission targets from China, “sets the stage for a globally coordinated move away from fossil fuels.” That’s the expectation according to Ganesh Suntharam, chief investment officer of Redpoint Investment Management. Putting the ESG trend to the…

Following on from the Inside Network’s ESG Masterclass recently, specialist investment manager Martin Currie is fast becoming a climate change leader, through its active ESG investing approach, together with a series of new initiatives that were announced yesterday. These initiatives have significantly enhanced the company’s analysis of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Martin Currie…

Australian Ethical, which is already the equal-largest manager of specialist ESG-related funds in Australia, alongside Vanguard, is now aiming to be among the largest of all managers with Australian businesses operating in the wholesale and retail space. And it is hoping technology will help. The manager (ASX: AEF) has partnered with a specialist start-up Alta…

News broke this week that one of Vanguard’s popular ESG or Environment, Social and Governance-focused strategies may not have been as true to label as one would expect. According to reports and the group’s website, the benchmark index tracked by the fund did not measure up to the name. Holding 4,500 individual fixed income securities,…

According to US$3.3 trillion ($4.3 trillion) asset manager, Fidelity International, companies with strong ESG characteristics outperformed in 2020, and should be expected to continue delivering strong returns into the future. That said, significant work lies ahead as the global economy moves towards a more ‘sustainable’ footing with asset managers central to this process. “Engagement” has…

The recently announced Your Future, Your Super proposed performance test has raised concerns on the potential of unintended consequences in the government’s pursuit of better performing funds. Clearly, the government is squarely focused on the relationship of fees and performance against a standard asset allocation framework. However, many pundits believe the current proposal would see…

BNY Mellon, one of the three oldest banks in the US, in partnership with its subsidiary Newton Investment Management, is launching a range of industry-leading global equity strategies. Aptly named the “Future” funds, they will seek to offer investors exposure to the tailwinds associated with climate change, the revolution in food production and importantly, the…

With interest rates at all-time lows, and term deposits lucky to be paying 0.5%, investors have simply been forced to look for alternative income-generating investments. The share market has obliged, but not only in the form of normal equity dividends – but in newer listed income-bearing investments. One of the most recent offerings came last…

After what has been a busy (and impressive) year for relative new-comer Federation Asset Management, it could have been forgiven for putting the cue in the rack come Christmas. Yet the group, led by ex-Macquarie banker Cameron Brownjohn, just launched what may be an Australian first: a pure-play investment fund investing in the renewable energy…