UBS Asset Management (UBS AM) announces the launch of its UBS (Lux) Equity SICAV – Global Impact Fund (USD). This new open-ended, actively managed fund, invests in long-term growth opportunities which aim to generate a positive social and environmental impact, alongside a consistent financial return.
Working alongside leading academic scientists, UBS AM has developed a bespoke methodology that measures the positive impact of equities on issues fundamental to impact investing. The fund will demonstrate a positive and tangible impact on human well-being and environmental quality, by investing in companies that provide solutions to significant global challenges such as climate change, air pollution, clean water and water scarcity, treatment of disease and food security.
The fund will be managed by Bruno Bertocci, Head of the Sustainable Equity Investors team at UBS AM and will adopt a high-conviction approach to running a concentrated portfolio of between 40 and 80 stocks. It will have a target active share in excess of 90% with over 22% invested in its top ten holdings. While its benchmark is the MSCI All-Country World index, up to 25% will be in invested in small and mid-cap companies.
“This fund is the result of a project that I think will be most influential and most interesting in the years ahead; a project that actually developed a quantitative framework to measure the external impact of public companies on society,” said Mr. Bertocci.
Commenting on the fund, Michael Baldinger, Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing at UBS AM said: “Sustainable and Impact Investing is a core investment area within UBS AM, and we’ve managed an active equities fund focused on sustainability since 1997. Over the last few years, we’ve seen increased client interest in impact investing and in response to this growing demand, we’ve embarked on the next phase of our sustainable investing strategy: measuring the impact of our investments on human well-being and environmental quality.”
