Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. Bloomberg y Rockefeller AM lanzan índice de mejora de ESG
Bloomberg and Rockefeller Asset Management announced the launch of the Bloomberg Rockefeller U.S. All Cap Multi-Factor ESG Improvers Index, available through the Bloomberg Terminal. The index combines Bloomberg’s renowned risk model, data, and index capabilities with 40 years of ESG expertise from Rockefeller AM.
Both firms pointed out in a press release that, unlike other ESG indices that emphasize screening around ESG leaders or laggards, this one ranks a company’s improvement in performance on material ESG issues relative to industry peers. It also combines the Rockefeller ESG Improvers ScoreTM, an uncorrelated and proprietary alpha enhancing factor, with quality and low volatility factors to pursue outperformance over traditional market-cap weighted indices with low tracking error and minimal sector or other factor deviations. They also stated that another distinctive aspect of the index is that it incorporates shareholder engagement techniques that help create shareholder value and catalyze positive change.
“We believe that investors will increasingly differentiate between ESG leaders and improvers – firms showing the greatest improvement in their ESG footprint. And that the latter offers a greater potential for generating uncorrelated alpha over the long-term,” said Casey Clark, Managing Director and Global Head of ESG Investments at Rockefeller Asset Management.
Meanwhile, Alan Campbell, Head of Index Product Management at Bloomberg, claimed that institutional investors are focusing now on underlying ESG factors and trends, so they are expanding their index offering to include ESG improvers. “Together with Rockefeller we are providing investors with a product that captures high quality and low volatility companies that exhibit positive ESG momentum.”
Lastly, Chip Montgomery, Managing Director and Head of Business Strategy & Corporate Development at Rockefeller AM highlighted that given Bloomberg’s history as a multi-asset index provider, and their experience in the ESG space, they “felt this was a natural partnership to bring ESG Improvers benchmarks to the market”.
Foto cedida. S&P Dow Jones Indices y la Bolsa de Santiago lanzan el Índice S&P IPSA ESG Tilted
S&P Dow Jones Indices, the world’s leading index provider, and the Santiago Exchange, announced last January 20th the debut of the S&P IPSA ESG Tilted Index, the latest in S&P DJI’s growing family of global ESG indices based on some of the world’s most highly tracked regional and country-specific benchmarks.
The index uses rules-based selection criteria based on relevant ESG principles to select and weight its constituents from the S&P IPSA, Chile’s headline stock index, measuring the performance of the largest and most liquid stocks listed on the Santiago Exchange.
The objective is to give investors core exposure to the Chilean equities market while providing a significant boost in ESG score performance.
“Last year, ESG undeniably asserted itself as an essential strategy for the mainstream investor as the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice issues put the importance and relevance of corporate sustainability data and principles firmly in the spotlight,” said Reid Steadman, Managing Director and Global Head of ESG Indices at S&P DJI.
“We are thrilled to work with the Santiago Exchange to continue expanding our ESG strategy in Latin America with launch of the S&P IPSA ESG Tilted Index.
This new index will be a useful tool for investors looking to bring ESG principles into the core of their investment portfolios with the goal of attaining performance largely in line with the Chilean equity market.”
“Sustainability is a strategic cornerstone for the Santiago Exchange and the basis for our mission to publicize, disseminate and promote ESG best practices. As capital market articulators, by launching this new index we seek to encourage companies to manage ESG factors with the highest standards, while providing tools for better investment decision-making in order to boost the sustainable development of the market, and to allow Chilean issuers to position themselves globally”, said José Antonio Martínez, CEO of the Santiago Exchange.
Index Methodology
The S&P IPSA ESG Tilted Index starts with all constituents in the S&P IPSA. Companies involved in controversial weapons, tobacco, thermal coal, and companies with disqualifying United Nations Global Compact scores are excluded.
Remaining eligible companies are then weighted within their respective GICS Sectors by their S&P DJI ESG Score resulting from the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). Companies with relatively high or low S&P DJI ESG scores are overweighted or underweighted within their GICS Sector all while maintaining the same sector balance as the parent index, the S&P IPSA.
By maintaining sector neutrality with the eligibility universe, the index provides significant additional
exposure to ESG factors while maintaining relatively low tracking error with the broader market.
At launch, the S&P IPSA ESG Tilted Index will have the following 26 constituents:
Foto cedidaMichaela Collet Jackson, directora de distribución para Europa, Oriente Medio y África de Columbia Threadneedle.. Columbia Threadneedle nombra a Michaela Collet Jackson directora de distribución para Europa, Oriente Medio y África
Columbia Threadneedle Investments has announced in a press release the appointment of Michaela Collet Jackson as Head of Distribution EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). Previously in BlackRock, she will take over her new role next March 22.
Collet will lead Columbia Threadneedle’s regional Sales and Client Service functions across Wholesale, Institutional and Insurance channels. Reporting to Nick Ring, CEO EMEA, she will join the firm’s regional leadership team and primary governance bodies.
“We look forward to Michaela joining Columbia Threadneedle to lead our UK, European and Middle East Sales teams and drive our distribution capability across client channels. Michaela is a results-focused leader who brings excellent experience in distribution strategy and execution, sales management and client relationship roles. She has an outstanding record of achieving growth through a highly effective combination of strategic direction, team leadership and client-focused organisational structure”, Ring said.
He also highlighted that Collet joins the asset manager at an “exciting time”, as they have consistently strong investment performance, a broad array of strategies across all major asset classes and experience creating bespoke solutions for their clients. “Under Michaela’s leadership we are well positioned to build deeper relationships, serve more clients and grow our EMEA franchise“, he added.
Michaela has over 18 years’ experience in the asset management industry in Europe. She joined Barclays Global Investors (BGI) in 2005 and later BlackRock in 2009 (when it acquired BGI), where she progressed through a number of distribution roles including iShares Business Development lead for international and private banks in the UK and Switzerland, Sales Director for the Nordic Institutional business, Head of Nordic Retail and Head of Solutions & Partnerships for EMEA Retail. In April 2020, she became Managing Director and Deputy COO for the EMEA Distribution business.
Foto cedida. Abbie Llewellyn-Waters, Rhys Petheram y Jon Wallace, nuevos cargos en Jupiter AM
Jupiter AM announced a number of senior appointments and changes within its sustainability suite, which also affect the Jupiter Global Ecology management team. In a press release, the asset manager pointed out that these decisions will allow them to continue to offer clients attractive returns through long-term sustainable investing.
In particular, the firm has named Abbie Llewellyn-Waters Head of Sustainable Investing, the fund manager Rhys Petheram has been promoted to Head of Environmental Solutions, and Jon Wallace has taken over the management of the Jupiter Global Ecology Growth Fund. Wallace will be replacing Charlie Thomas, Head of Strategy, Environment and Sustainability, who leaves after 20 years at the company.
“Drawing on Jupiter’s 30-year heritage of sustainable investing, this restructure and the series of appointments reinforce our commitment to this strategically important client proposition which we see as a cornerstone of our future business growth plans. We are pleased to be able to offer our clients a distinct choice of products, enabling them to achieve their sustainable investing goals in partnership with our dedicated and experienced team”, Andrew Formica, CEO, said.
She also claimed to be “delighted” to have Llewellyn-Waters and Petheram in these new roles where they will be “instrumental” in shaping, supporting and influencing the firmwide initiatives that they have been developing over the last year.
Meanwhile, Stephen Pearson, CIO, congratulated them on their new roles, created to drive forward Jupiter’s sustainability proposition, and paid tribute to departing manager Charlie Thomas: “Having taken on the management of Jupiter’s flagship Ecology unit trust fund nearly 20 years ago, he has become an important part of that fund’s long history and has made a strong mark at Jupiter and on the sector during his tenure. He has been a pleasure to work with and he leaves with our thanks for the valuable contribution he has made and our best wishes for the future”.
Three in-house professionals
With over 15 years of sustainable investment experience, Llewellyn-Waters will lead the firm’s sustainable investing capability, while also feeding into the work of Edward Bonham Carter, who has taken on a new role focusing on the company’s stewardship and corporate responsibility activities. As part of this, she will continue to play an important role in shaping best practice across the business in line with Jupiter’s commitment to ESG.
Meanwhile, Petheram is a recognised thought-leader in environmental fixed income investments with 20 years’ experience across fixed income and multi-asset portfolios. He has co-managed the Jupiter Global Ecology Diversified Fund since inception in 2016, delivering 27.5% relative to a sector average of 16.85% over this time.
In his new role, Petheram will work closely with Llewellyn-Waters, leading and evolving Jupiter’s expertise in investing in companies intentionally focused on providing solutions to sustainability challenges across key environmental themes. He will also oversee Jupiter’s environmental solutions range across asset classes, while continuing to co-manage the Jupiter Global Ecology Diversified fund.
Lastly, Jupiter AM highlighted that Wallace, who has worked closely with Thomas for over 10 years, has an in-depth knowledge of the portfolios and a strong expertise in seeking out the key innovators in the green technology space, making him “the natural successor” for this range. He will collaborate closely with Thomas to ensure a smooth transition of fund management responsibilities.
Although the pandemic is likely to negatively impact 2020-year-end fundraising, the attractive attributes that private infrastructure offers investors in the U.S. will drive assets under management to higher levels and new strategies will proliferate, according to one of the latest reports by Cerulli Associates “Cerulli Edge – U.S. Asset and Wealth Management Edition“.
The document highlights that the distinctive characteristics of infrastructure assets result in a unique risk and return profile: “With returns generally lower and less volatile, advocates perceive real assets as safe and defensive and less correlated with other asset classes”. Also, their long asset lives and often large investment sizes make them particularly attractive to larger investors, such as insurance general accounts, pensions, and sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) that “seek to put substantial capital to work in long-life assets that match their long-term liabilities”.
The research reveals that digital infrastructure (fiber networks, telecommunication towers, and data centers) was one of the fastest-growing segments of infrastructure investment in 2020. By prompting a dramatic shift to work- and school-at-home, the pandemic highlighted the need for connectivity. “Investment is required for both upgrading aging data infrastructure and installing new digital assets, particularly in developing countries experiencing rapidly growing demand for connectivity”, Cerulli adds.
The sustainability driver
The demand for sustainable investments is also a key driver shaping infrastructure investing. Specifically, clean energy, water, and wastewater assets have become increasingly attractive to a growing pool of investors seeking sustainable or socially responsible investments. The report points out that often these investors, such as pension funds, are under pressure to meet climate change or sustainability goals, but other investors, including high-net-worth individuals and SWFs, have a growing appetite for investments that make a meaningful impact and also generate a competitive return.
“Additionally, the growing commitment by fund managers to make investments that meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors contributes to the escalating supply and demand for assets in the renewable energy and social housing space”, Cerulli says.
All in all, going forward, the large global, publicly traded alternative asset managers with multi-strategy platforms will be advantaged to source investments, launch products, and attract capital from investors worldwide. Investors’ appetite for sustainability and ESG strategies will continue to drive renewable energy investments. “Similarly, remote work and e-commerce trends that COVID-19 accelerated have stimulated global demand for digital infrastructure that is likely to continue”, the research concludes.
Foto cedidaRichard Graham, nuevo responsable global de relaciones con consultores de Janus Henderson Inverstors.. Janus Henderson Inverstors nombra a Richard Graham responsable global de relaciones con consultores
Janus Henderson Investors announced in a press release the appointment of Richard Graham as Global Head of Consultant Relations. He will be based in London and report to Nick Adams, Global Head of Institutional.
In this newly-created role, Graham will lead and drive Janus Henderson’s engagement with investment consultants on a global basis, developing and executing a coordinated coverage model. Additionally, he will have direct managerial responsibility for the UK based consultant relations team.
“Richard’s hire marks an important step in the continued growth of our institutional team, where we are dedicated to securing first-rate individuals to drive the development of this business”, Adams said. In his view, Graham’s arrival will allow them to “further build” upon their relationships with investment consultants across the globe, working alongside their local sales and client relationship teams.
Graham brings more than 20 years’ investment management experience, most recently at Schroders where he held various senior roles, including Global Head of Consultant Relationships where he had overall responsibility for the consultant intermediated business across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Prior to this he held positions at HSBC Asset Management and Deutsche Asset Management.
Lastly, Janus Henderson pointed out that this appointment builds on its institutional team’s strength and reinforces the firm’s commitment to growing its institutional business on a global basis.
Foto cedidaJim O’Donnell, Head of Citi Global Wealth.. Citi unifica su negocio de wealth management bajo la dirección de Jim O’Donnell
Citi has announced that it has created a single wealth management organization, Citi Global Wealth, unifying its teams in Global Consumer Banking (GCB) and the Institutional Clients Group (ICG).
In a press release, the firm has revealed that Citi Global Wealth will be an integrated platform serving clients across the wealth continuum, from the affluent segment to ultra-high net worth (UHNW) clients. The new organization will be led by Jim O’Donnell, who joined Citi in July 1999, and will include the Citi Private Bank and Citi Personal Wealth Management.
O’Donnell will report to Anand Selva, CEO of Global Consumer Banking, and Paco Ybarra, CEO of the Institutional Clients Group. Prior to his appointment to this new role, he was Global Head of Investor Sales and Relationship Management, responsible for the distribution of global Markets products to Citi’s Equities, Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities clients.
“Making wealth management a key differentiator and source of enhanced returns for Citi will be a key element of our strategy going forward, and putting the full force of our firm behind an offering in this way is indicative of the approach we’re taking to transforming our bank”, Citi CEO Michael Corbat and Citi President and incoming CEO Jane Fraser said in an internal memo announcing the new business.
Meanwhile, O’Donnell pointed out that their clients are increasingly global in presence and financial needs, and they are committed to helping them preserve and build wealth for themselves, their families and future generations. “Creating a unified Wealth organization will help us to deliver the full, global power of Citi to clients while ensuring that we preserve the products, capabilities and expertise of the Private Bank and Consumer Wealth businesses”, he added.
Citi Private Bank serves more than 13,000 UHNW clients, including 25% of the world’s billionaires and more than 1,400 family offices across 50 cities in over 100 countries. The firm points out that its business model enables them to focus on fewer, larger and more sophisticated clients who have an average net worth above 100 million dollars.
Furthermore, through its Citigold, Citigold Private Client and Citi Priority offerings, Citi’s Global Consumer Bank provides institutional grade, personalized wealth management services to clients. The unit has approximately 200 billion dollars in investment assets under management globally and serves clients in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Mexico.
Foto cedidaJeff Klingelhofer and Ben Kirby. Jeff Klingelhofer y Ben Kirby
As we enter 2021, Thornburg Investment Management’s Jeff Klingelhofer and Ben Kirby, portfolio managers and co-heads of investments, review the current state of the market, offer an outlook for the next twelve months, and discuss investment ideas to prepare for a year which poses many uncertainties, especially regarding inflation.
What should we expect from emerging markets in 2021?
Klingelhofer and Kirby, who both see emerging markets as an allocation that “can help reduce portfolio volatility, while generating potential upside performance,” say they are bullish on emerging markets for the year ahead. According to the Thornburg co-heads of investments, these markets are undergoing a process of profound transformation, marked by “a structural transition towards a model based on increasing disposable income in emerging markets and guided by domestic consumption,” in which other cyclical factors such as “the global fall in interest rates or the acceleration of GDP growth, particularly in relation to developed markets, are also involved.”
We must add to this the positive impact on global sentiment that both Biden’s victory in the U.S. and the first vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are having. “In our opinion financial markets have underestimated the degree to which emerging countries have implemented thoughtful policies to stimulate their economies in the face of Covid, as well as the scale on which they are already returning to normality,” Kirby said. He noted that the combination of these elements makes many emerging markets very attractive.
However, Kirby observed that the pandemic is perpetuating a market environment of individual winners and losers. This dynamic requires careful stock picking to separate those businesses that have started 2021 heavily indebted, or whose operational quality has fallen, from companies with durable business models that are well positioned to weather different environments.
Will we witness inflationary pressure in 2021?
Thornburg’s Klingelhofer doesn´t believe so. He sees a lot of slack in the economy and notes that structurally there haven´t been any sustainable improvements. Therefore, while he expects that the return to normality from widescale deployment of the vaccine should boost consumption, driving the CPE up, he does not believe it will translate into a sustained rebound in inflation for some time yet. He cites the U.S. housing market as an example: “We have some asset price inflation, but labor and commodity price inflation do not seem to pose a threat in the short term.” Therefore, he recommends that investors watch consumer spending and inflation as the key leading metrics this year.
Klingelhofer notes that the Fed’s new inflation framework and the concept of average inflation targeting may be difficult to manage. The question is whether the Fed will be able to comply with this new framework and what will happen if inflation does indeed return, as the new target “suggests that there could be more volatility in rates and inflation going forward.” In conclusion, Klingelhofer doubts that the Fed will be able to meet an average inflation rate above 2% in the short term.
The portfolio managers propose investors should address the eventual inflationary environment through investment in TIPS (U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities). Alternatively, they recommend short duration equities that pay dividends or investing in equities with pricing power, gold, bitcoin and hard assets.
In order to provide further useful information for investors, Thornburg presents the following table with all its macro forecasts, focusing on the development of the U.S. economy in 2021.
Which is the biggest macro risk over the next twelve months?
Now that Brexit is behind us, there are still several concerns on Klingelhofer and Kirby’s list: the Covid-19 hangover and ongoing challenges from China, but also whether Biden’s agenda will be negative for long-term growth.
Added to this is the situation of a global savings glut, accrued during the months of confinement, because it could trigger a stock market bubble. “When it bursts, we could have collateral damage,” Kirby warns.
What role does fixed income play in the context of a diversified portfolio? Can fixed income continue to generate returns above inflation?
Both managers are very clear about this asset class: “Investment teams need to provide protection, not chase yields.” They refer to the fact that, with their investments, they can generate returns, but the fundamental mandate is not to lose money. “Fixed income has not been a great source of return for a long time. You have to think of it in a portfolio context first as protection and secondly as a source of income,” they conclude.
Therefore, the view of the experts is that, as with equities, we could be moving towards a more favorable market environment for bond selection, with tactical allocations that could add value to the asset allocation.
Founded in 1982, Thornburg Investment Management is a privately-owned global investment firm that offers a range of multi-strategy solutions for institutions and financial advisors around the world. A recognized leader in fixed income, equity, and alternatives investing, the firm oversees US$45 billion ($43.3 billion in assets under management and $1.8 billion in assets under advisement) as of 31 December 2020 across mutual funds, institutional accounts, separate accounts for high-net-worth investors, and UCITS funds for non-U.S. investors. Thornburg is headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, with additional offices in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Foto cedidaStephen Dover, responsable del nuevo Instituto de Inversión de Franklin Templeton. . Franklin Templeton crea un centro de investigaciones y conocimiento sobre inversión liderado por Stephen Dover
Franklin Templeton has announced in a statement the launch of its new Investment Institute, “an innovative hub for research and knowledge sharing that seeks to unlock the firm’s competitive advantage as a source of global market insights”.
The institute will be led by Stephen Dover, who has also been named Chief Market Strategist. In his new roles, he will continue to provide market insights for the firm and will head the institute’s operations, facilitating the sharing of research through multiple channels, including bespoke data analysis, proprietary content and academic partnerships. Meanwhile, Terrence Murphy, CEO of ClearBridge Investments, will take on Dover’s current role as Head of Equities for Franklin Templeton.
“With these appointments and the launch of the Investment Institute, we are doubling down on what sets our firm apart: unmatched insight and research from experts on the ground in over 70 offices around the globe,” said Jenny Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Templeton.
“In this time of significant uncertainty, we are uniquely positioned to help clients find signal amid the noise. Whatever the issue, whatever the region, we will marshal diverse perspectives and proprietary analysis to best serve our clients. I am thrilled to have Stephen Dover leading this new effort”, she added.
Johnson pointed out that Murphy has done “a phenomenal job” at ClearBridge and believes that, more broadly, this appointment demonstrates their commitment to propelling the business forward “by harnessing the great talent” across their organization.
Dover and Murphy will begin their new roles on February 1 and both will report to Johnson.
“A hub for knowledge-sharing”
The asset manager pointed out that its new institute will serve as a center of excellence to harness the firm’s global investment expertise and extensive in-house research capabilities. “The Franklin Templeton Investment Institute brings together our deep research capabilities and global insights to create a hub for knowledge-sharing across the firm’s multiple autonomous specialist investment managers,” said Dover.
He also highlighted that the ultimate mission of the institute is to provide research and data-driven insights for clients to help them navigate the financial markets, “armed with the power of our diverse investment expertise”.
Foto cedidaEuan Munro, CEO de Newton, parte de BNY Mellon IM. . Euan Munro, nombrado nuevo consejero delegado de Newton
Newton Investment Management (Newton), part of BNY Mellon Investment Management, announced in a press release the appointment of Euan Munro as its chief executive officer (CEO), subject to Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) approval in the UK.
Munro will join Newton on June 23 and will report to Hanneke Smits, CEO of BNY Mellon IM. With an investment career that spans three decades, most recently, he was CEO of Aviva Investors and a member of the global executive committee for seven years. Under his leadership, Aviva Investors was transformed into a leading UK asset manager with total assets under management growing significantly. Prior to this, Munro was head of global multi-asset and fixed interest investing at Standard Life Investments.
Commenting on the appointment, Smits claimed to be “delighted” that Munro is joining the firm, as he is “an exceptional leader” with a proven track record in the investment industry. “His investment credentials and extensive experience leading one of the UK’s larger asset managers with a presence in the institutional, intermediary and retail markets, are highly relevant to Newton and we look forward to warmly welcoming him soon”, she added.
Munro recognized that this is an exciting time to be joining Newton, as, in his view, it’s a global asset manager full of talented people, high quality investment solutions and a strong heritage in responsible investment. “I’m looking forward to building upon this strong foundation and continuing to enhance Newton’s investment offering to help clients achieve their goals”, he said.
Andrew Downs will continue as Newton’s interim CEO until Munro joins the company and receives approval from the FCA, and then will resume his role as chief operating officer. Downs assumed the role of interim CEO in August when Smits began her transition to CEO of BNY Mellon Investment Management.
