Foto cedidaRoman Boner, gestor de cartera principal de la estrategia RobecoSAM Smart Energy.. Robeco refuerza sus equipos de inversión temática sostenible con un gestor principal y siete analistas de renta variable
Robeco has strengthened its sustainable themes investment teams with the addition of eight professionals. In a press release, the asset manager has announced the appointment of Roman Boner as lead Portfolio Manager of the RobecoSAM Smart Energy strategy. The teams will be further reinforced by seven equity analysts over the coming months.
“Our Trends & Thematic investment offering has seen strong growth, and our dedication, ambition and commitment allows us to attract the best world-class professionals. The capability is now stronger than ever before and we will keep adding investment professionals to further strengthen our teams in order to help achieving our clients’ financial and sustainability goals”, said Mark van der Kroft, CIO Fundamental and Quant Equity at Robeco.
David Hrdina, Chair of the Executive Committee at Robeco Switzerland, commented that with these appointments they are sending “a strong signal” to their clients and the market that Robeco Switzerland is “the center for Sustainable Thematic Asset Management, which can attract top-tier professionals”. “We made an important step in further bolstering the investment engine in Zurich. But this step was not the last one”, he added.
Based in Zurich, Boner is an experienced thematic investment manager. He joins Robeco from Woodman Asset Management, where he built up its impact offering. Previously he was Senior Portfolio Manager at Swisscanto, where he was responsible for managing different sustainable/thematic global equity funds and co-managed sustainable multi-asset funds. He also held various positions at UBS Global Asset Management, including Portfolio Manager focused on thematic sustainable equity strategies.
Besides, Pieter Busscher has been appointed lead Portfolio Manager of the RobecoSAM Smart Mobility strategy, having served as Deputy Portfolio Manager of this strategy since its launch in 2018. He has been with the firm since 2007 and is also the lead Portfolio Manager of the RobecoSAM Smart Materials Strategy.
Robeco’s deep bench of thematic investment professionals is further enhanced by the appointments of analysts Michael Studer, Mutlu Gundogan, Sanaa Hakim, Clément Chamboulive, Alyssa Cornuz, Simone Pozzi, and Diego Salvador Barrero.
Studer will be named Senior Equity Analyst focusing on Technology. He will also be the Deputy Portfolio Manager for the Smart Energy strategy. He joins from Acoro AM, where he was an investment manager, and has 13 years’ experience as an equity analyst/investment manager, working at Julius Baer and Bank J. Safra Sarasin and other firms.
Gundogan, CFA, will join as Senior Analyst from ABN AMRO – ODDO BHF, where he was Senior Equity Analyst covering the Chemicals sector. He will focus on the Materials sector and brings over 17 years’ experience as a financial analyst. As for Hakim, she will be appointed Senior Equity Analyst for Energy Efficiency & Renewables. With 6 years of experience as an investment analyst, she joins from Independent Franchise Partners and previously she was at Capital Group.
Chamboulive will join as Senior Analyst, also focusing on the Technology sector and its role in the electrificationof the transport system. He worked at 2Xideas and prior to that at Baillie Gifford, and has 7 years’ experience as an Investment Analyst. Meanwhile, Cornuz, CFA, will be named Equity Analyst for the RobecoSAM Sustainable Healthy Living Equities strategy, with a focus on Consumer-related sectors. She joins from Credit Suisse and has five years’ experience as an equity and fund analyst. Previously she was at Nordea, where she was a fundamental equity analyst for thematic funds, fully integrating ESG aspects.
Furthermore, Pozzi will become Equity Analyst focusing on Industrial Automation and Process Technologies. He joins from Alantra, where he was an equity analyst and has more than six years of experience. Lastly, Salvador Barrero, CFA, has been appointed Equity Analyst for the Energy Distribution & Renewables team. He joins from BBVA AM in Spain, where he was an ESG equity portfolio manager. He has ten years’ experience as an equity analyst/portfolio manager, working at Aviva and other firms.
Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. Los fondos ETFs con estrategias smart beta ganan atractivo entre los clientes de la banca privada europea
Nearly half (46%) of the European private banks and independent wealth managers expect demand for smart beta exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to increase over the next 24 months, according to the latest issue of “The Cerulli Edge-Europe Edition“, a survey by Cerulli Associates.
“Forty-four percent of the respondents to our research expect passive ETF demand to increase over the next two years,” says Fabrizio Zumbo, associate director, European asset and wealth management research at the firm. Besides, the research indicates that European private banks’ average portfolio allocation to ETFs is set to increase from 18% in 2020 to 25.7% by 2022 and that specific sector/country exposure is by far the most important consideration for these institutions when evaluating ETFs.
According to Zumbo, there have been some interesting developments away from the mainstream asset classes. For example, some notable differences emerged when Cerulli asked European private banks and independent wealth managers to identify what they expect to be the most in-demand passive fund strategies and exposures. “EUR bonds were the clear winner among private banks, with almost half as many references again as USD bonds. In contrast, wealth managers expect other bond strategies to be most popular, with little to choose between their expectations for thematic, corporate, and emerging market bonds”, he reveals.
The research also shows that the COVID-19 pandemic-related market turmoil provided a significant stress test of the resilience of bond ETFs and their success triggered interest from investors who had not previously considered using ETFs in fixed income. In addition, a combination of regulatory tailwinds and unprecedented client demand has led to a surge in ESG investing.
“ETFs are also becoming an area of innovation in investment strategies, with thematic approaches that focus on sustainable food sources or specific climate change criteria, for example, being released in ETF format by default”, concludes Cerulli.
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainImagen de Gerd Altmann. NN IP
A joint study by NN Investment Partners (NN IP) and governance services provider Glass Lewis reveals that companies with stand-alone ESG committees do tend to have higher ESG scores. According to the asset manager, this is reflected in its proprietary ESG Lens.
The research shows that companies with this supervisory structure account for the highest proportion (28%) of firms in the top quartile of ESG Lens scores and have above-median ESG Lens scores generally. Although those with ‘below board’ committee oversight of sustainability also have 28% in the top quartile, this category only accounts for 15% of second quartile performers versus 36% for stand-alone committees. Overall, the highest proportion of above-median ESG Lens scores are registered at companies with specialized committees -whether at or below board level- to oversee sustainability performance.
Firms with other types of oversight structures and their percentage representation in the top quartile include: combined board committee (16%); whole board (13%); and not disclosed (16%).
Besides, those located in Europe and the United States, which have more developed extra-financial reporting expectations and obligations, tend to have stand-alone board level ESG committees (26% and 28% respectively). However, while the quality of disclosure is strong in Europe, the same cannot be said for the US, where many companies appear to have taken a “legal minimum” approach to disclosure. The relatively weak reporting requirements in the United States versus Europe may explain the differences in disclosure quality.
Supervisory structures by regions
Stand-alone committees are most prevalent in the energy sector (44%), followed by materials (37%), financials and consumer staples (both 29%), utilities (21%), industrials (19%), consumer discretionary (13%) and healthcare (10%).
“How much oversight boards provide on sustainability varies and may often be quite limited. The decision to adopt stand-alone or combined board-level ESG committees remains voluntary but is influenced both internally, such as having a company culture that values sustainability, and externally by factors such as stakeholder and regulatory pressures. Given these committees are voluntary, they could be viewed as signalling a company’s heightened focus on the strategic performance of ESG, but this may only reflect a superficial commitment”, commented Adrie Heinsbroek, Chief Sustainability Officer at NN IP.
He believes that in terms of external factors, while recommendations, soft law, and shareholder expectations can influence companies into setting up committee oversight of sustainability and ESG issues, mandatory extra-financial disclosure requirements have a more direct and material impact on the presence of defined oversight structures: “European companies, for example, which are affected currently by the greatest regulatory pressure to report extra-financial information, are the most likely to have some form of ESG committee in place, while companies in the energy sector may have more stand-alone or combined committees due to greater scrutiny of environmental issues, most notably climate change”.
Heinsbroek pointed out that the research findings “once again” show the important effect of companies having ESG in focus, and the impact on their ESG performance. “As active investors, we continue to engage with companies to put this on their radar and exert our influence by having discussions on this topic”, he concluded.
You can find the full report by NN IP/Glass Lewis that explores the links between ESG supervision and performance here.
Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. Nordea Asset Management abrirá un centro ESG en Singapur
Nordea Asset Management (NAM) has announced this week its plans to open an ESG hub in Singapore by the end of the year in response to its “growth and successes” in the region. In a press release, the asset manager has revealed that this is a strategic decision to establish its first ESG hub outside of its Nordic headquarters.
In this sense, they believe that the hub will allow them to be closer to clients in Asia-Pacific and better understand how companies are embracing sustainability in the region. “NAM is pleased to establish an ESG hub in Singapore, which will enable us to enhance our local servicing, ESG capabilities, investment platform and distribution reach in the region. Sustainability issues have gained significant interest in Asia in recent years, and investors are increasingly asking for ESG solutions. The time is right to meet that demand,” says Nils Bolmstrand, CEO of Nordea Asset Management.
The asset manager has explained that Singapore is an attractive choice for its first overseas ESG hub due to its stable investment environment and the government’s commitment to tackle the problems of carbon emissions and embrace the doctrines of sustainable finance. In its view, Singapore’s Green Finance Action Plan, launched in 2019, marks “a significant step in the country’s transition towards a sustainable future”.
NAM’s new ESG hub will supplement its local Singapore distribution office, established in 2013, and will be fully integrated with NAM’s ESG-focused internal investment boutiques as well as NAM’s award-winning Responsible Investments team. The plan is to start implementing the hub in the latter part of 2021.
Foto cedidaDe izquierda a derecha: Velislava Dimitrova, gestora principal de Fidelity Funds - Sustainable Climate Solutions Fund; y Cornelia Furse, cogestora de la estrategia.. Fidelity International amplía su gama sostenible con un fondo de renta variable global para la descarbonización mundial
Fidelity International (Fidelity) has announced the launch of the Fidelity Funds — Sustainable Climate Solutions Fund, a global equity portfolio of leading companies that benefit from decarbonization. It will be managed by experienced sustainable thematic investors Velislava Dimitrova and Cornelia Furse.
In a press release, the asset manager has revealed that the fund aims to achieve long-term capital growth by investing in companies which enable global decarbonisation efforts. In other words, firms that offer technologies and solutions that materially reduce greenhouse gas emissions versus incumbent technologies. Investments will include companies involved in the design, manufacture or sale of products or services in technologies or solutions such as (but not limited to): electric vehicles, green hydrogen, autonomous vehicles, renewable energy, smart grids, industrial automation and agricultural efficiency.
“Climate change has prompted decarbonisation policies around the world to help achieve global carbon neutrality. The world needs to decarbonise urgently, at a faster pace that we have seen to date, and investors can play a major role in supporting this change. The decarbonisation challenge is on a scale unmatched in human history. But it is one that offers the companies meeting it a 30-year period of growth that surpasses even the internet revolution. Our Sustainable Climate Solutions Fund offers investors access to this long-term global megatrend”, says Dimitrova, Co-Portfolio Manager.
Fidelity believes that to keep global warming to the 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels as recommended in the Paris Agreement, the global economy will need to go through a radical transformation, affecting every area of human activity. This means reversing over 150 years of rising greenhouse gas emissions and reaching, or exceeding, net zero targets within 30 years – at a cost of 144 trillion dollars, almost seven times annual US GDP. According to the firm’s analysts, the race to net zero is on, and almost a quarter of all companies will be carbon neutral by the end of this decade.
Furse, Co-Portfolio Manager of the strategy, points out that unlike other climate funds, this one focus on carbon reduction, not carbon avoidance. “Investing in low emission sectors will not be enough to reverse 150 years of rising greenhouse gas emissions. Our fund will identify and invest in existing and emerging solutions that help decarbonise society. The decarbonisation trend is currently at the early stage of penetration and will be driven by a combination of innovation, improving economics, accelerated governmental support and changing consumer behaviours.It is the stocks exposed to these themes that will drive superior investment opportunities for our investors”, she adds.
The Fidelity Funds — Sustainable Climate Solutions Fund, which is classified Article 8 under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), forms part of Fidelity’s expanding Sustainable Family of Funds. The asset manager currently manages more than 10 billion dollars in sustainable funds across its equity, fixed income, ETF and multi asset.
“We strive to become a trusted partner to our clients, delivering innovative investment solutions that meet their financial and non-financial objectives. Investing sustainably is key to achieving this. Our Sustainable Family of Funds has grown substantially in recent years, and I am pleased that we can now offer clients access to the decarbonisation megatrend”, highlights Christian Staub, Managing Director Europe at Fidelity.
In his view, the race to net zero “is on”; that’s why they have also committed to reduce their operational carbon emissions to net zero by 2040, and they’re working collaboratively with peers in the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, supporting and the transition towards global net zero emissions.
About the portfolio managers
Velislava Dimitrova has 13 years of investment experience. She joined Fidelity in 2008 and worked as an analyst until 2014, covering a number of sectors including European Media, European Utilities and Materials. She was subsequently appointed co-Portfolio Manager on global team-based portfolios where she had specific sector responsibilities, including the Fidelity Global Demographics strategy between 2017-19, which cemented her interest in thematic products. In 2018, she built on her vision of running a sustainable thematic strategy when she conceptualised and started managing Fidelity Sustainable Climate Solutions, where she is currently Lead Portfolio Manager. In February 2021, Velislava took on a Lead Portfolio Manager role for the Fidelity Sustainable Water & Waste strategy. She has an MBA from MIT Sloan and a BBA from Sofia University.
Cornelia Furse has 11 years of investment experience. She joined Fidelity in 2010 and worked as an analyst until 2021 covering a number of sectors including European Mid-cap Utilities, US Health Care, US Consumer Discretionary and US Capital Goods. She was appointed co-Portfolio Manager on the Fidelity Sustainable Climate Solutions strategy in 2019 and as co-Portfolio Manager on the Fidelity Sustainable Water & Waste strategy in February 2021. She has an MA in Classics from Oxford University.
Foto cedidaPaul Troussard, Victoire Dubrujeaud y Delphine Cadroy. Paul Troussard, Victoire Dubrujeaud y Delphine Cadroy
To support the development of its High Yield credit and Large Cap equities expertise, La Française AM, the securities investment manager of the group La Française, has announced in a press release the arrival of three new talents.
Victoire Dubrujeaud and Delphine Cadroy have joined the High Yield team, led byAkram Gharbi, Head of High Yield Investment, within the credit division, headed by Paul Gurzal, Head of Credit. The asset manager believes that they will both enhance the strong development of La Française AM’s expertise in fixed maturity funds, which represents more than 1 billion euros in assets under management (as at 31/05/2021).
Dubrujeaud, High Yield Fund Manager, will bring “a solid knowledge of the high yield market” acquired over ten years of experience, mainly as a credit analyst. She began her career at Amundi Asset Management as an Investment Grade Credit Analyst, specialising in the consumer, distribution and healthcare sectors, before diversifying into High Yield in the chemicals, metals and gaming sectors. In 2017, she joined SCOR Investment Partners as a High Yield and Leveraged Loans Analyst, then became Fund Manager/High Yield Analyst at ODDO BHF Asset Management in 2019 where she managed nearly 2 billion euros in fixed maturity funds.
Cadroy, High Yield Fund Manager, joins La Française AM after five years of international experience beginning in London with Société Générale as an analyst in syndicated loans, before joining Amazon, then Moody’s as an Analyst in Leveraged Finance, responsible for a portfolio of twenty companies, rated high-yield and operating in the healthcare, business services and consumer sectors.
Besides, Paul Troussard has joined the Large Cap Equities team to strengthen the coverage of the euro zone, under the direction of Nina Lagron, Head of Large Cap Equities, who said that his arrival will allow them to “focus on the team’s new sustainable investment themes.”
Troussard, Large Cap Equities Fund Manager, spent more than four years at Clartan Associés as a European equities fund manager, all sectors. There, he developed an expertise in extra-financial analysis by participating in the implementation of an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investment strategy and in the launch of a sustainable European small and mid-cap fund.
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainNimalan Tharmalingam . Nimalan Tharmalingam
Neuberger Berman, a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager, has announced the appointment of Sarah Peasey in the newly created position of Director of European ESG Investing.
Based in London, she will report to Jonathan Bailey, Head of ESG Investing, and will work directly with the investment teams to further incorporate ESG principles across asset classes and to enhance long-term value for clients.
Peasey joins Neuberger Berman from Legal and General Investment Management (LGIM), where she served as Head of Responsible Investment Strategy – Investments. There she worked closely with the CIO to drive long term responsible investment strategy, with a focus on research and portfolio management across all investment capabilities, whilst also providing the investment perspective to support product innovation and shape client solutions. Prior to this, she was an Investment Strategist and head of fixed income investment
‘‘Sarah brings with her more than a decade of investment experience and we’re thrilled to have her on board as we continue to engage our European clients on important sustainability topics like net zero. She will work with our investment teams across the region to continue to innovate their approach to ESG investing”, Bailey commented.
Meanwhile, Dik van Lomwel, head of EMEA and Latin America, pointed out that Neuberger Berman has a long history of integrating ESG into investment processes while helping their clients achieve their investment goals. “With Sarah’s extensive experience, we hope to further generate sustainable, long-term returns for our clients through our approach to ESG, as seen in our recent £1.3bn climate transition-related multi-asset credit mandate from the Brunel Pension Partnership which is designed to align Brunel’s portfolio with the Paris Climate Agreement”, he concluded.
Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. China y Estados Unidos impulsan el crecimiento y la recuperación del sector del lujo
After a year in which the only increase in consumption was recorded in the upper part of the luxury consumer pyramid, whose market share doubled compared to the previous year, the global market is gradually recovering and is estimated to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2022, according to the “True-Luxury Global Consumer Insight”, a report by Boston Consulting Group and Altagamma.
Their conclusions show that thepushcomesaboveallfromUSconsumers, whose luxury purchases have restarted more quickly than expected, thanks to the strong government support, and from Chinese consumers, who confirm the trend towards the repatriation of purchases, started during COVID-19.
This recovery is due to a “rebound effect”: the desire for luxury increases in post-pandemic. In this sense, the report shows that spending expectations of high-end consumers in the 12 months are generally positive: the consumers’ feeling is slightly oppositefor personaland experiential luxury, with the first one expected to benefit from domestic consumption, and experiential luxury forecasted to be increasingly supported by abroad spending.
MillennialsandGen.Zaretheother growth drivers and will account for 60% of total consumers by 2025. Among the major trends in consolidation: the increasing virtualization of luxury (new digital tools for engaging the consumer), the polarization of values between Western and Eastern styles, an omnichannel-centered distribution system and a growing attention towards the values of brands, in terms of environmental sustainability and inclusiveness.
“The report shows positive signs for 2021, beyond expectations. China and especially the US are driving growth with more than a third of international consumers planning to increase spending on high-end goods and experiences, including travel. The sector has shown solidity and quickly captured the new socio-cultural trends. Sustainability is certainly one of these, but the strong virtualization of the luxury experience is also striking, as highlighted by the success of sales in livestreaming and by gaming, a sector that reached the value of $178 billion in 2020”, says Matteo Lunelli, President of Altagamma.
If Europeans are cautious about domestic spending and more pessimistic about foreign spending for the next 12 months, US and Chinese consumers stand out for their optimism, placing themselves as potential growth drivers of the personal luxury market in the near future.
“Americans are back” comments Sarah Willersdorf, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group. In this sense, she points out that US consumers are bullish on both domestic and abroad luxury consumption expectations, showing Americans are poised to regain their importance in the Global Luxury market. Such renewed optimism is expected to produce a share increase versus pre-covid forecasts of +2-3 p.p., estimated at 19-21% by 2025.
“Consumers from China are also planning to increase their spend but also continuing to repatriate it, with an acceleration here as well versus pre-pandemic estimates in terms of share, amounting to +3-4 p.p., to reach 43-45% in 2025. Brands will need to take a strategic stance towards these two consumers clusters that, besides diverging tastes in terms of style, entail different implications in terms of marketing and distribution footprint investments”, she adds.
The report highlights that virtualization of luxury is an increasingly defined reality that can pose great opportunity of additional revenues stream for the brands. “Particularly gaming: amongst the 39% of consumers who have claimed to be aware of the existence of virtual online games that involve a luxury brand, 55% of them state to have bought in-game items. Amongst them, 86% state to have then purchased the corresponding physical version”, it says.
Other trends that stand out are the boost of social and live commerce (i.e. livestreaming), with the interactions between customersandbrandsbecomingincreasinglydirectand digitally focused; and clienteling 2.0, the importance of the “human” touch. “Compared to last year, a personalized “touch” remains key for consumers when reached across all digital and physical avenues by a brand, confirming the need for brands to create a more 1-1 relationship with the customer across all touchpoints”, concludes the report.
Corporate moves continue in the global asset management industry. The Goldman Sachs Group has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Dutch asset manager NN Investment Partners (NN IP) from NN Group N.V. for approximately 1.6 billion euros (1.87 billion dollars), consisting of a base purchase price of 1,515 million.
This amount doesn’t include a ticking fee and excess capital of 50 million euros to be distributed in the form of a dividend before completion, so the final figure could rise to €1.7 billion. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2022, subject to regulatory and other approvals and conditions, reveal the statements released by both firms.
As part of the agreement, NN Group and Goldman Sachs Asset Management will enter into a ten-year strategic partnership under which the combined company will continue to provide asset management services to NN Group.
The combination of the complementary investment capabilities of NN IP and Goldman Sachs will create a full suite of asset management products that can be offered to clients through the distribution networks of both parties. At the same time, NN IP has highlighted that its “leading position” in responsible investing will strengthen Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s sustainable investment strategy, product offerings and client solutions.
A stronger European business
NN IP is a leading European asset manager based in The Hague, Netherlands, with approximately $355 billion in assets under supervision and $70 billion in assets under advice. It offers a broad range of equity and fixed income products, with a strong ESG integration across its business. Besides, it is a top-ranked ESG manager in Europe and 75% of its assets under supervision are ESG integrated. With a heritage dating back almost 175 years, NN IP employs more than 900 professionals in 15 countries and combines the use of data and technology with fundamental analysis in its investment processes.
NN IP’s employees will join Goldman Sachs Asset Management following the closing of the transaction and both firms expect that the Netherlands will become a significant location in GSAM’s European business. “We believe that their expertise will strengthen our fund management and distribution platform across retail and institutional channels in Europe and support us in delivering long-term value to clients”, said Goldman Sachs in its press release.
In their view, NN IP is highly complementary to their existing European footprint and will add new capabilities and accelerate growth in products such as European equity and investment grade credit, sustainable and impact equity, and green bonds.
Goldman Sachs has $2.3 trillion in assets under supervision globally, and this transaction will bring assets under supervision in Europe to over $600 billion, aligning with the firm’s strategic objectives to scale its European business and extend its global reach.
As a result of the agreement, Satish Bapat will step down from his role as a member of the Management Board of NN Group. He will continue to lead NN IP in his role as CEO.
A strategic partnership
Meanwhile, the combination with Goldman Sachs gives NN IP a broader platform to accelerate its growth and further improve the offering and service to its clients. It will also allow NN Group to continue its cooperation with NN IP and to benefit from the strengths and complementary product propositions of Goldman Sachs.
As part of the agreement, GSAM will enter into a long-term strategic partnership agreement with NN Group to manage an approximately $190 billion portfolio of assets, reflecting the strength of the business’ global insurance asset management capabilities and alternatives franchise.
The partnership will establish Goldman Sachs as the largest non-affiliated insurance asset manager globally, with over $550 billion in assets under supervision, and the acquisition will provide a foundation for further growth in the firm’s European fiduciary management business, building on the success of its platform in the United States and United Kingdom.
“This acquisition allows us to accelerate our growth strategy and broaden our asset management platform. NN IP offers a leading European client franchise and an extension of our strength in insurance asset management. Across their offerings they have been successful in integrating sustainability which mirrors our own level of ambition to put responsible investing and stewardship at the heart of our business. We look forward to partnering with the team at NN IP as we focus on delivering long-term value to our clients and our shareholders”, commented David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs.
Meanwhile, David Knibbe, CEO of NN Group, pointed out that they have a “longstanding and successful” shared history with NN IP. “We value this strong and constructive relationship that we have and we look forward to further building on it in a new form. This transaction brings together two international asset managers, each with many decades of investment experience. We have found a strong and professional partner in Goldman Sachs, providing an environment in which our NN IP colleagues can continue to thrive, while the combined investment expertise and scale will enhance the service offering to their clients, including NN Group”, he added.
The U.S. equity market set a record high during the last week of July with the benchmark S&P 500 index closing higher for the sixth consecutive month, overriding fears of rising inflation and a potential slowdown in economic growth.On July 19, the U.S. Business Cycle Dating Committee announced that the COVID-19 induced two month U.S. recession from March to April of 2020 was the shortest on record, putting the 1980 February to July recession in second place.
Upcoming key events include Fed Chairman Powell’s keynote speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium on this year’s theme “Macroeconomic Policy in an Uneven Economy,” on Aug. 26, which follows the July jobs report that came out on August 6th. Goldman Sachs economists “expect the Fed will first hint that it intends to decrease the size of its $120 billion monthly asset purchases at its September meeting, formally announce tapering in December, and begin tapering in early 2022.” Chairman Bernanke’s 2013 ‘taper tantrum’ statement that the Fed “could in the next few meetings take a step down in its pace of purchases” started a five-day, 40 basis point rise in the 10-year UST yield to 2.6% and 5% drop in stocks.
GAMCO’s Private Market Value (PMV) with a Catalyst™ stock research ideas highlighted as ‘stock picks’ during BARRON’S 2021 Midyear Roundtable, published in the July 19, issue, were: CNH Industrial (CNHI) that recently purchased Raven Industries (RAVN), a leader in precision-agriculture technology, Mexico’s TV network Grupo Televisa (TV) popular with the Spanish-speaking population, Deutsche Telekom (DTE) with a valuable stake in T-Mobile US (TMUS), Vivendi (VIV) a play on music streaming, ViacomCBS (VIACA) a restructuring play, Liberty Braves Group (BATRA) with John Malone at bat, Madison Square Garden Sports (MSGS) with James Dolan up, and Traton (8TRA) a truck maker spun out of Volkswagen with 25% of the Class 8 truck market in Europe, and now in the U.S. via its purchase of Lisle, Illinois based Navistar Inc.
Looking to M&A, Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) and Aon (AON) mutually agreed to walk away from their all-stock, $30 billion merger. Willis Towers Watson agreed to be acquired by Aon in March 2020 and terms of the deal called for Willis Towers shareholders to receive 1.08 shares of Aon for each share. In June, the U.S. DOJ filed suit to block the deal even though the European Commission had already granted conditional regulatory approval after the parties had agreed to sell overlapping business units that generated billions of dollars in revenue. Following efforts to negotiate additional divestitures to mollify the DOJ, an impasse was reached with the regulator and the parties opted to continue as separate companies. Willis Towers Watson received a $1 billion termination fee from Aon as a result, and will use the funds to buy back $1 billion of its stock. The unexpected move resulted in spreads widening on other mergers in sympathy.
Although this was a shock to the M&A market, we believe conditions are strong for continued strength building off of the record $2.8 billion from the first half of the year. Favourable dynamics remain in place, including historically low interest rates, accommodating debt markets, substantial dry powder held by private equity firms and management teams looking to better compete in an overall evolving global marketplace. While more deals do not necessarily translate to outsized returns, it, coupled with these various drivers, certainly provides for an encouraging landscaping and backdrop for investment opportunities within a portfolio like ours.
Rounding out our outlook with the convertibles space, the global convertible market saw some weakness in July, weighed down by a few large Chinese issuers. While some of these issues are now more attractively priced, we continue to view them cautiously. July was also the worst month for new issuance globally in nearly two years with only $3.4 billion of convertibles pricing. We are confident that issuance will pick back up as companies exit quiet periods around earnings and we approach typically busier fall months. The fundamental reasons for increased convertible issuance are still quite intact with low interest rates, increasing equity prices, and favourable tax environments available to most potential issuers.
To summarize, GAMCO continues to expect more deals — mergers, spinoffs, and other forms of financial engineering. Stocks should continue to do well with politicians spending to ensure a good economy for the midterms, and convertibles are an appealing way to stay invested in equities with the benefit of asymmetric risk exposure.
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GAMCO Merger Arbitrage UCITS Fund, launched in October 2011, is an open-end fund incorporated in Luxembourg and compliant with UCITS regulation. The team, dedicated strategy, and record dates back to 1985. The objective of the GAMCO Merger Arbitrage Fund is to achieve long-term capital growth by investing primarily in announced equity merger and acquisition transactions while maintaining a diversified portfolio. The Fund utilizes a highly specialized investment approach designed principally to profit from the successful completion of proposed mergers, takeovers, tender offers, leveraged buyouts and other types of corporate reorganizations. Analyzes and continuously monitors each pending transaction for potential risk, including: regulatory, terms, financing, and shareholder approval.
Merger investments are a highly liquid, non-market correlated, proven and consistent alternative to traditional fixed income and equity securities. Merger returns are dependent on deal spreads. Deal spreads are a function of time, deal risk premium, and interest rates. Returns are thus correlated to interest rate changes over the medium term and not the broader equity market. The prospect of rising rates would imply higher returns on mergers as spreads widen to compensate arbitrageurs. As bond markets decline (interest rates rise), merger returns should improve as capital allocation decisions adjust to the changes in the costs of capital.
Broad Market volatility can lead to widening of spreads in merger positions, coupled with our well-researched merger portfolios, offer the potential for enhanced IRRs through dynamic position sizing. Daily price volatility fluctuations coupled with less proprietary capital (the Volcker rule) in the U.S. have contributed to improving merger spreads and thus, overall returns. Thus our fund is well positioned as a cash substitute or fixed income alternative.
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Class I USD – LU0687944552 Class I EUR – LU0687944396 Class A USD – LU0687943745 Class A EUR – LU0687943661 Class R USD – LU1453360825 Class R EUR – LU1453361476
GAMCO ALL CAP VALUE
The GAMCO All Cap Value UCITS Fund launched in May, 2015 utilizes Gabelli’s its proprietary PMV with a Catalyst™ investment methodology, which has been in place since 1977. The Fund seeks absolute returns through event driven value investing. Our methodology centers around fundamental, research-driven, value based investing with a focus on asset values, cash flows and identifiable catalysts to maximize returns independent of market direction. The fund draws on the experience of its global portfolio team and 35+ value research analysts.
GAMCO is an active, bottom-up, value investor, and seeks to achieve real capital appreciation (relative to inflation) over the long term regardless of market cycles. Our value-oriented stock selection process is based on the fundamental investment principles first articulated in 1934 by Graham and Dodd, the founders of modern security analysis, and further augmented by Mario Gabelli in 1977 with his introduction of the concepts of Private Market Value (PMV) with a Catalyst™ into equity analysis. PMV with a Catalyst™ is our unique research methodology that focuses on individual stock selection by identifying firms selling below intrinsic value with a reasonable probability of realizing their PMV’s which we define as the price a strategic or financial acquirer would be willing to pay for the entire enterprise. The fundamental valuation factors utilized to evaluate securities prior to inclusion/exclusion into the portfolio, our research driven approach views fundamental analysis as a three pronged approach: free cash flow (earnings before, interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, minus the capital expenditures necessary to grow/maintain the business); earnings per share trends; and private market value (PMV), which encompasses on and off balance sheet assets and liabilities. Our team arrives at a PMV valuation by a rigorous assessment of fundamentals from publicly available information and judgement gained from meeting management, covering all size companies globally and our comprehensive, accumulated knowledge of a variety of sectors. We then identify businesses for the portfolio possessing the proper margin of safety and research variables from our deep research universe.
Class I USD – LU1216601648 Class I EUR – LU1216601564 Class A USD – LU1216600913 Class A EUR – LU1216600673 Class R USD – LU1453359900 Class R EUR – LU1453360155
GAMCO CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES
GAMCO Convertible Securities’ objective is to seek to provide current income as well as long term capital appreciation through a total return strategy by investing in a diversified portfolio of global convertible securities.
The Fund leverages the firm’s history of investing in dedicated convertible security portfolios since 1979.
The fund invests in convertible securities, as well as other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities, across global markets (but the fund will not invest in contingent convertible notes). The fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization or credit quality, including up to 100% in below investment grade or unrated securities, and may from time to time invest a significant amount of its assets in securities of smaller companies. Convertible securities may include any suitable convertible instruments such as convertible bonds, convertible notes or convertible preference shares.
By actively managing the fund and investing in convertible securities, the investment manager seeks the opportunity to participate in the capital appreciation of underlying stocks, while at the same time relying on the fixed income aspect of the convertible securities to provide current income and reduced price volatility, which can limit the risk of loss in a down equity market.
Class I USD LU2264533006
Class I EUR LU2264532966
Class A USD LU2264532701
Class A EUR LU2264532610
Class R USD LU2264533345
Class R EUR LU2264533261
Class F USD LU2264533691
Class F EUR LU2264533428
Disclaimer: The information and any opinions have been obtained from or are based on sources believed to be reliable but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. No responsibility can be accepted for any consequential loss arising from the use of this information. The information is expressed at its date and is issued only to and directed only at those individuals who are permitted to receive such information in accordance with the applicable statutes. In some countries the distribution of this publication may be restricted. It is your responsibility to find out what those restrictions are and observe them.
Some of the statements in this presentation may contain or be based on forward looking statements, forecasts, estimates, projections, targets, or prognosis (“forward looking statements”), which reflect the manager’s current view of future events, economic developments and financial performance. Such forward looking statements are typically indicated by the use of words which express an estimate, expectation, belief, target or forecast. Such forward looking statements are based on an assessment of historical economic data, on the experience and current plans of the investment manager and/or certain advisors of the manager, and on the indicated sources. These forward looking statements contain no representation or warranty of whatever kind that such future events will occur or that they will occur as described herein, or that such results will be achieved by the fund or the investments of the fund, as the occurrence of these events and the results of the fund are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The actual portfolio, and thus results, of the fund may differ substantially from those assumed in the forward looking statements. The manager and its affiliates will not undertake to update or review the forward looking statements contained in this presentation, whether as result of new information or any future event or otherwise.
