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Stewart Investors launches Worldwide Leaders Sustainability Strategy in New Zealand
The Stewart Investors Worldwide Leaders Sustainability Strategy (WWLS) will be available in New Zealand.
The strategy will be available via the Stewart Investors Worldwide Leaders Sustainability Fund (Fund), a managed investment scheme with Implemented Investment Solutions acting as the Manager and Public Trust as the Trustee.
The strategy holds shares of large and mid-sized companies around the world, in both developed and emerging markets, that have a market cap of at least US$5 billion. It seeks to achieve long-term capital growth for investors through a diversified portfolio of equity or equity-related securities which are listed, traded, or dealt in, on any of the regulated markets globally.
The portfolio team selects companies that are positioned to contribute to, and benefit from, sustainable development. As a result, the strategy has an 85 per cent* lower carbon intensity than the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) benchmark.
The Fund will aim to exceed the MSCI ACWI over rolling five-year periods (before fees and taxes) but portfolio construction is not limited or constrained by the benchmark. The Fund will be able to hold between 40 and 60 investments at any one time.
Managed by Sashi Reddy and David Gait, who are based in Singapore and Sydney respectively, the Fund offers New Zealand investors access to Stewart Investors’ proven global equities and sustainability capabilities.
Stewart Investors launched its first sustainability strategy in 2005 and has since demonstrated that sustainable investing can be a powerful driver of risk adjusted returns over the long term. The team is supported by the heritage of Stewart Investors, dating back to 1988.
The Fund will aim to achieve positive social and environmental outcomes by investing in, and proactively engaging with, companies which support positive contributions to the likes of health and wellbeing, financial inclusion, reducing waste, water and energy efficiency, and renewable energy, while avoiding companies that participate in harmful and controversial practices.
The Fund is certified by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia.
David Gait, head of the Stewart Investors investment team and a portfolio manager at Stewart Investors, said: “Investors are increasingly wanting to see their own values reflected in their portfolios, and there is very high demand for sustainable investments in New Zealand. Given this, we’re really pleased to be introducing WWLS to like-minded investors in the region.”
Sashi Reddy, portfolio manager at Stewart Investors, said: “Stewart Investors has a strong track record of sustainable investing, as we launched our first sustainability strategy in 2005 and consistently hold high quality companies in our portfolios for many years – in some cases, for more than 25 years.
“We are passionate believers that long term capital can play a productive role in the sustainable development of economies, by allocating capital to productive uses and invest in firms which contribute to a more sustainable future. We do this through our bottom-up assessment approach, which works towards ensuring that all of our investments are best placed to deliver solid absolute returns over the long term.”
Media inquiries:
Claudia Pritchitt
PritchittBland Communications
Tel: +61 438 221 550
Email: [email protected]
Important Information
This Press Release is provided by First Sentier Investors (Australia) IM Ltd (FSI AIM) which forms part of First Sentier Investors, a global asset management business. First Sentier Investors is ultimately owned by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc (MUFG), a global financial group. Stewart Investors is a trading name of FSI AIM. This Press Release is provided in good faith and is designed as a summary to accompany the Product Disclosure Statement for the Stewart Investors Worldwide Leaders Sustainability Fund (Fund). The Product Disclosure Statement for the Fund is available from FSI or Implemented Investment Solutions (IIS or the Issuer).
The information contained in this Press Release is not an offer of units in the Fund or a proposal or an invitation to make an offer to sell, or a recommendation to subscribe for or purchase, any units in the Fund. If you are making an investment directly then you will be required to complete the application form, which can be obtained from IIS.
The information and any opinions in this Press Release are based on sources that FSI believes are reliable and accurate. FSI, its directors, officers and employees make no representations or warranties of any kind as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this Press Release and disclaim liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense that may arise from any reliance on the information or any opinions, conclusions or recommendations contained in it, whether that loss or damage is caused by any fault or negligence on the part of FSI, or otherwise, except for any statutory liability which cannot be excluded. All opinions reflect FSI’s judgment on the date of this Press Release and are subject to change without notice. This disclaimer extends to IIS, and any entity that may distribute this publication.
The information in this Press Release is not intended to be financial advice for the purposes of the Financial Advisers Act 2008 or the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (FMC Act), as amended by the Financial Services Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (FSLAA). In particular, in preparing this document, FSI did not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any particular person. Professional investment advice from an appropriately qualified adviser should be taken before making any investment.
Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance, unit prices may go down as well as up and an investor in the fund may not recover the full amount the capital that they invest. IIS is the issuer and manager of the Fund. FSI is in the investment manager of the Fund.
