AXA Global Distribution Fund
SRI Style:
Sustainability Tilt
SDR Labelling:
Unlabelled with sustainable characteristics
Product:
OEIC
Fund Region:
Global
Fund Asset Type:
Equity
Launch Date:
16/05/2008
Last Amended:
Apr 2022
Dialshifter (
):
Fund Size:
£270.93m
(as at: 31/12/2024)
ISIN:
GB0008308982, GB0008309287, GB0008309170, GB00BMXW7B65, GB00BPX34N19, GB0008309063
Sustainable, Responsible
&/or ESG Overview:
Awaiting update from fund manager (July 2024)
The aim of the AXA Global Sustainable Distribution fund is to achieve long-term capital growth by identifying structural growth companies listed in the UK that have sustainable business practices which balance growth without compromising the needs of future generations.
The strategy aims to achieve this by investing in global equities and inflation-linked bonds. The fund’s typical asset mix and characteristics are detailed below:
- Asset Mix: The fund’s typical asset mix ranges between 50%-60% investments in shares and 40%-50% in Global index-linked Government bonds and cash.
- Turnover: The expected turnover level of the fund is typically c. 30%.
- Performance Comparison: The fund’s composite benchmark used for perfomance comparison is made up of: 55% MSCI AC World Total Return Net; 45% ICE BofAML Global Govt Inflation Linked (GBP Hedged)
Primary fund last amended:
Apr 2022
Information directly from fund manager.
Fund Filters
Sustainability - General
Funds that have policies that consider (environmental and social) sustainability issues. Strategies vary but are likely to consider environmental issues like climate change, carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, resource management, environmental impacts; and social issues like equal opportunities, human rights, labour standards, diversity and adherence to internationally recognised codes. See fund information.
Find funds which substantially focus on sustainability issues
Find funds where there is a significant emphasis on (environmental and social) sustainability. Funds with a 'sustainability theme' typically place more emphasis on the area than funds with a 'sustainability policy' - meaning that it is more likely to drive investment selection. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
A core element of these funds aim to encourage higher sustainability standards across business practices through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity
Find funds that use the UN Global Compact to inform or help direct where they can or cannot invest and will typically not invest in companies with significant breaches (low standards) - although strategies vary. (The UNGC covers a wide range of issues - search 'UNGC'). See https://unglobalcompact.org/
Find funds that publicly report their performance against specifically named sustainability objectives (in addition to reporting their financial performance)
Environmental - General
Funds that have policies which relate to environmental issues. These will typically set out the fund's stance on issues such as pollution, climate change, resource management, biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, plastics and/or additional environmental impacts. Strategies vary. See fund information for further information.
Funds that limit or 'reduce' their exposure to carbon intensive industries (ie sectors which are major contributors to climate change. Funds vary - some funds may be 'underweight' in this area which means they may have some investment in highly carbon intensive areas. Funds of this kind may choose companies they consider to be 'best in sector' and encourage ever higher standards. Strategies vary. See fund information for further details.
Funds that aim to invest in companies with strong or market leading environmental policies and practices. Strategies vary - in particular the balance between 'financial' aspects and environmental benefits. Some may invest substantially in solutions or 'positive impact' companies - others may invest in more conventional companies providing certain environmental criteria are met. See fund information for further detail.
Nature & Biodiversity
Find funds that have a written biodiversity policy or theme aimed at encouraging and improving environmental protection and safeguarding the natural world (sometimes referred to as the preservation or enhancement of 'natural capital'). See eg https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity
Find funds that have policies in place designed to ensure they do not invest in companies that are significantly involved in deforestation. This typically relates to palm oil plantations where biodiversity loss is a major concern (as well as other issues). Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Find funds that have policies in place explaining that they avoid companies involved in illegal and/or unsustainable deforestation. This may relate to palm oil, cattle farming or other concerns. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Find funds that aim to avoid investing in companies that produce genetically modified seeds or crops. (This does not typically include avoiding companies such as supermarkets). See fund literature for further information.
Climate Change & Energy
Funds that have policies (documented strategies that explain their position on) climate change related issues such as greenhouse gas/carbon emissions, net zero, transitioning to lower carbon. Strategies vary. Read fund details for further information.
Funds that avoid investing in major coal, oil and/or gas (extraction) companies. Funds vary: some may exclude all companies that extract oil. Others may have exposure to oil extraction via more diversified energy companies. See fund literature to confirm details.
Funds that avoid companies involved in fracking and tar sands - which are widely regarded as controversial methods of oil and gas extraction. Strategies vary. See fund information for further information.
Funds that avoid companies that are involved in extracting oil from the Arctic regions. See fund literature for further details.
A core element of these funds will aim to encourage the transition to lower carbon activities through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity
Funds that hold companies in the clean energy and renewable energy sectors (at the time research was supplied). Fund strategies vary, in particular the proportion of investment in these areas may vary significantly. Check fund literature for details.
Find funds that require all, or almost all, of the companies it invests in to have a ‘net zero action plan’ - meaning that the companies they invest in have worked out how they will, over time, reduce their total carbon (and other greenhouse gas) emissions to nil.
Social / Employment
Find funds that have policies which set out their approach to social issues (e.g. human rights, labour standards, equal opportunities, child labour and adherence to internationally recognised codes such as the UN Global Compact). Funds with social policies typically avoid companies with low standards or work to encourage higher standards. See fund information for detail.
Find funds that have a labour standards policy - which can be expected to mean that the fund will invest in / favour companies that have higher standards in this area - although fund strategies can vary significantly (as with all policy areas). See eg https://www.ilo.org/international-labour-standards
Find funds that invest in line with positive strategies that relate to 'people' issues - such as having strong human rights, labour standards and equal opportunities practices. Such funds are likely to invest in companies that have market leading standards with regard to employee and supplier practices. Read fund literature for further information.
Ethical Values Led Exclusions
Find funds that have policies that set out their position on ethical or 'personal values' based issues. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Find funds that avoid companies that manufacture products intended specifically for military use. Fund strategies vary - particularly with regard to non-strategic military products. See fund literature for fund specific details.
Find funds with a written civilian firearms exclusion policy - meaning that they will not invest in companies that make (or perhaps also sell) handguns made for non-military users.
Find funds that avoid companies with significant involvement in the gambling industry. Some funds may allow a small proportion of profits to come from this area. See fund policy for further details.
Find funds that avoid companies that derive significant income from pornography and related areas. Strategies vary. See fund details for further information.
Find funds that avoid companies that test their products on animals for purposes other than medical benefit (e.g. for cosmetics). Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.
Human Rights
Find funds that have policies relating to human rights issues. Funds of this kind typically require companies to demonstrate higher standards, although some fund managers work to encourage improvements. Investee companies are often judged against internationally agreed norms or standards. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Find funds that have policies in place to ensure they do not invest in companies that employ children.
Find funds with policies that exclude companies or other assets where regimes are not democratic, or where people may be oppressed. May use eg. Freedom House research. Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.
Find funds that have policies or a theme that relates to the responsible management of supply chains. These may relate to employment issues, notably people employed by their suppliers, as well as the sourcing of materials and products. See fund literature for further information.
Gilts & Sovereigns
Find funds that avoid investing in 'some' gilts or government bonds. Strategies vary, but this may relate to avoiding specific countries or particular reasons for bond issuance. 'Green gilts' for example would be likely to be acceptable. See fund literature for further information.
Governance & Management
Find fund options that have policies that relate to corporate governance issues such as board structure, executive remuneration, bribery and/or corporate corruption. These funds will typically avoid companies with poor practices. Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.
Find funds that aim to avoid investing in companies with poor governance practices.(e.g. board structure, management practices etc.) Views may however vary on what counts as 'poor' practices - and funds may not immediately divest as they may prefer to work to encourage higher standards. See fund literature for further information.
Exclude companies that are subject to United Nations sanctions. See eg https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/un-sc-consolidated-list
Find funds that have policies explaining how managers will respond to assets / companies that do not comply with relevant anti-bribery and anti-corruption standards or laws. Strategies vary; options include stewardship/ engagement and divestment - or a combination. See fund literature for further information.
Fund managers encourage the companies they invest in to have more diverse board structures (e.g. more women on boards)
A core element of these funds will aim to encourage higher ESG standards through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement /voting activity
Fund Governance
Find funds that factor in 'environmental, social and governance' issues as part of their investment decision making process. A focus on 'ESG' typically means a fund is carrying out additional research to help reduce ESG related risks. It does not necessarily mean a focus on sustainability. Strategies vary. See fund literature.
Asset Size
Find funds where more than half of the funds' assets are invested in smaller or medium sized companies (i.e. below around £5 -10 billion).
Find a fund that invests in a combination of small, medium and larger (potentially multinational)companies.
Targeted Positive Investments
Find funds that invest >25% of their capital towards companies where a major part of their business is focused on helping to address environmental or social challenges.
Find funds that invest >50% of their capital in companies where a major part of their business is focused on helping to address environmental or social challenges.
Impact Methodologies
Find funds that direct investment towards companies where a major part of their business is about solving environmental challenges. e.g. companies helping to address climate change.
Find funds that invest in companies where a major part of their business is specifically aimed at helping to address social challenges. e.g. companies helping to address poverty.
Find funds that specifically set out to invest in companies that are regarded as 'disrupting' existing business practices - typically through the development of innovative (sustainability aware) products and/or practices.
How The Fund Works
Find funds that focus on finding and investing in companies with positive / beneficial attributes. This strategy can be applied in addition to exclusion criteria and engagement/stewardship activity.
Find funds where their main 'ethical approach' is to avoid companies by using negative screening criteria. Read fund literature for further information.
Find funds where their main approach is to apply positive or negative ethical, social and / or environmental screens. Strictly screened funds are likely to exclude more companies than other related fund options. See fund literature for further information.
Finds funds that may alter/soften or move away from their regular ESG/sustainability/ethical investment selection criteria when investment market conditions become difficult
Find funds that invest more heavily in those that have higher ESG ratings/standards or scores and less heavily in companies with lower ESG ratings. Where this is central to a fund's strategy you should expect it to invest in most sectors. Strategies vary.
Aims to avoid companies that do significant harm. This originates from the EU’s sustainable finance ‘DNSH’ (do no significant harm) work, which is not necessarily used by UK investors.
Find funds that have 'mapped' (reviewed) their investment selection and management strategies to identify which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the fund is helping to address.
Find funds that make significant use of internationally agreed 'norms' (e.g. United Nations Global Compact - UNGC - or the UN Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs) as part of their investment selection process alongside additional SRI criteria such as positive or negative stock selection policies and/or stewardship strategies.
Find funds that have an ESG strategy (which is typically focused on avoiding companies that pose environmental, social or governance related risks) with additional criteria such as positive and/or negative screens, themes and stewardship strategies.
Find funds that consider both the 'positive' and 'negative' aspects of company behaviour and make balanced, considered decisions as part of their investment approach. May apply to a range of different issues and policy areas.
Find funds that use internationally agreed standards, conventions and 'norms' to help direct where the fund can and cannot invest (e.g. the UN Global Compact, UN Sustainable Development Goals). Read fund literature for further information.
A major focus of these funds is the careful management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) related risks - typically by avoiding or being underweight in companies seen as posing major risks in these areas (i.e. not necessarily by using themes, exclusions etc).
Find funds that have published explanations of their ethical, social and/or environmental policies online (i.e. fund decision making strategies/ buy/sell &/or asset management strategies).
Intended Clients & Product Options
Finds funds designed to meet the needs of individual investors with an interest in sustainability issues.
Find funds that are available via a tax efficient ISA product wrapper.
Only applicable for DFM’s & portfolio providers. Finds those that offer an SRI / ESG portfolio option
Only applicable for DFM’s & portfolio providers. Find service providers who offer multiple SRI / ESG portfolio options
Only applicable for DFM’s & portfolio providers. Find service providers who offer bespoke ('personalised') SRI / ESG portfolio options
Fund Management Company Information
About The Business
Find fund management companies that are smaller or specialise in particular areas - notably, ideally ESG related. Strategies vary.
Find fund management companies (or subsidiaries) that specialise in - or focus entirely on - investing in assets that are helping to deliver positive environmental and / or social impacts.
Finds fund management companies that have a published company wide stewardship, engagement and / or responsible ownership policy or strategy that covers all investments. Stewardship typically involves encouraging higher ESG standards through voting and dialogue.
Find fund management companies that actively encourage higher 'environmental, social and governance' and/or 'sustainable and responsible investment' practices across investee companies - typically where the aim is to encourage positive change that is aligned with the best interests of investors. Strategies vary. See additional information and options.
Find fund managers that vote all* the shares they own at Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings. A commitment to voting shares is a key indicator of 'responsible share ownership' demonstrating their support for or disagreement with management policy. (*situations can legitimately, occasionally occur where voting proves impossible, but in principle all shares should be voted.)
Find fund managers that consider responsible ownership and ESG to be a key differentiator for their business.
Find fund management companies that take sustainability criteria into account when selecting and/or managing all of their property / real estate investments.
The leadership team of this asset manager have performance targets linked to environmental goals.
Find fund management companies that aim to align all their investments (across all funds) to help meet the aims of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Find funds run by fund managers that apply Responsible ownership or 'Stewardship' policies to all or most of their investment assets. This means active involvement (e.g. voting, dialogue) with the companies they invest in across funds (not normally limited to ethical or SRI options.) Read fund literature for further information.
Find fund management companies that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when deciding whether or not to invest in a company for all / almost all of their funds and other assets. This is increasingly seen as part of sound risk management.
Finds organisations / fund managers that have an in-house (company wide) diversity improvement programme - meaning that they are working to ensure that within their own businesses they employ people from diverse backgrounds - often typically focused on ethnicity and/or sex.
Find fund management companies that encourage the companies they invest in to have strong diversity, race, gender and other equality policies across all assets held, not simply screened or themed SRI/ESG funds. (ie Asset Management company wide).
Collaborations & Affiliations
Find fund management companies that have signed up to the UN backed 'Principles of Responsible Investment'.
Find fund management companies that are members of UKSIF - the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance association
A member of the Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosures group which aims to aid risk management and shift money towards nature-positive outcomes.
Resources
Find fund management companies that employ people to steer and support fund managers in voting shares at company AGM's and EGMs in ways that are consistent with encouraging higher ESG/sustainability standards.
Find a fund management company that directly employs specialist ESG/SRI/sustainability researchers or analysts. This allows asset managers to discuss environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities directly with companies.
Find fund management companies that makes use of expert external research companies. This can help deliver specialist expertise and means resources are pooled with other investors.
Finds organisations / fund managers that have one or more ESG/sustainability experts on all investment teams or 'desks' (all asset types)
Accreditations
Finds organisations / fund managers that have an A+ PRI rating - meaning they are highly rated according to the 'Principles of Responsible Investment'
Find fund managers that are signatories to the FRC UK Stewardship Code, which sets out a framework for constructive investor / investee relations where fund managers are encouraged to behave like responsible, typically longer term 'company owners'.
Engagement Approach
Find fund management companies that regularly initiate or run industry wide (collaborative) investor projects aimed at raising environmental, social and governance standards amongst investee companies.
Find fund management companies that are working with the companies they invest in to encourage more responsible corporate taxation.
Company Wide Exclusions
Find fund management companies (not funds) that avoid investment in 'controversial weapons' across all of their funds and other investment vehicles.
Find fund management companies that avoid investment in tobacco (manufacturing) companies across all their assets.
Find fund management companies that avoid investment in fossil fuel companies (e.g. coal, oil and gas) across all of their funds. (and/ or other assets.)
Find funds / fund managers that are reviewing, or have reviewed, their exposure to carbon intensive industries including (but not only) mining, oil and gas companies. (Typically with reference to climate change.)
This asset manager has a strategy in place that will lead them to exit direct investments in the coal mining industry. Managers ability to do this may depend on the geographic regions in which they invest.
This asset manager excludes direct investment in the coal mining industry. Managers ability to do this may depend on the geographic regions in which they invest.
Climate & Net Zero Transition
Fund management organisations that have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’. Strategies vary - this area is changing rapidly.
Fund manager AGM / EGM voting strategy has processes in place that mean they will normally be expected to vote in a way that will encourage the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Find fund management companies that have published a Climate Risk policy or statement that is signed / owned by their Chief Executive.
This asset management company has set a date by which they plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas / CO2e emissions.
Find fund management companies that are working with the companies they invest in to encourage reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Finds organisations / fund managers that have a company wide carbon transition plan - meaning that they have plotted a path to how they will move away from activities that produce or use carbon based energy sources (that emit greenhouse gases) towards clean, alternative, renewable energy sources.
Finds organisations / fund managers that have published ‘forward looking climate metrics’ e.g. 'implied temperature rise' data that are a total of the asset management company's share (% owned) of all the investee company emissions of the assets they manage, as well as their own direct and other indirect emissions.
This asset management company plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (CO2e) emissions by reducing their emissions. Calculations and scope vary.
Find fund management companies that are working to reduce their own (fund management company) carbon/greenhouse gas emissions.
Finds organisations / fund management companies that are in the process of working out how to make a ‘net zero commitment’ - meaning that when that is finalised they will have started the process of reducing their total greenhouse gas emissions to'zero'.
Transparency
Find fund management companies that publish a report detailing their responsible investment ownership - also known as 'Stewardship' - activity.
Find companies that publish information about their sustainable and responsible investment strategies on their company website.
Find fund management companies that will supply information about their sustainable and responsible investment activity on request.
Fund management companies that publish a full record of how they vote their shares at AGMs (annual general meetings) and EGMs (extraordinary general meetings). Voting strategies have an important role to play encouraging higher environmental, social and governance standards.
This asset management company has published a plan that explains how they are to become a sustainable business - without significant negative environmental or social impacts.
This asset management company has published a plan that explains how they will align to the climate change commitments made at the Paris Climate Talks, COP21.
This asset management company has published a plan that explains how they are going to achieve net zero greenhouse gas / CO2e emissions.
Find fund management companies that have supplied Dialshifter information. See Dialshifter tab within record for more information.
Sustainable, Responsible &/or ESG Policy:
The Fund invests in shares of UK listed companies, bonds issued by the UK government (gilts), including index-linked gilts and cash. The Fund’s typical asset mix ranges between 50-60% of its Net Asset Value invested in shares, with the remainder being invested mostly in gilts and cash. The ACD selects shares in companies based upon their prospects for future growth of capital and dividend payments following an in depth analysis of the quality of their business model, financial status, and corporate governance arrangements. Investments in gilts are diversified across a range of maturities.
The ACD has full discretion to select investments for the Fund in line with the above investment policy and in doing so may take into consideration a composite benchmark made up of the following indices in the stated proportions: 55% FTSE All-Share Index; 17.5% FTSE Index-Linked All Stocks; 17.5% FTSE Index-Linked < 5 Years; 3.5% FTSE Gilts All Stocks; 3.5% FTSE Gilts < 5 Years; 3% SONIA Compounded Index (the “Benchmark”). This Benchmark best represents the types of bonds and companies in which the Fund predominantly invests. The Fund may also invest at the ACD’s discretion in other transferable securities, cash, deposits, units in collective investment schemes and money market instruments. The Fund may use derivatives for investment purposes as well as for Efficient Portfolio Management. Use may be made of borrowing, cash holdings, hedging and other investment techniques permitted in the applicable Financial Conduct Authority rules.
The Benchmark may be used by investors to compare the Fund’s performance.
In the securities selection process, the Investment Manager bindingly applies at all times AXA IM’s Sectorial Exclusion with the exception of derivatives and underlying eligible UCIs, as described in the documents available on the website: https://www.axa-im.com/responsible-investing/sectorinvestment-guidelines. The ESG criteria contribute to, but are not a determining factor in, the Investment Manager's decision making.
Process:
The fund is managed with a GARP (growth at a reasonable price) investment style. The investment team has an active remit to find those companies that can exhibit sustainable growth in profits and cash at an attractive valuation. In this disciplined investment approach, the investment team looks to add value by combining top-down thematic growth drivers with rigorous analysis of non – financial ESG metrics alongside bottom-up fundamentals.
We aim to find the companies that will be providing the innovation, products and solutions that will help the world to address its climate, demographic and social challenges. We will also be investing in companies where their ambition is to make everyday products or services more sustainable, efficient & inclusive for the benefit of society as a whole. It is our belief that by encouraging this combination of small everyday incremental gains with step changing innovation that investors can hope to make the biggest difference to these global challenges.
As long-term shareholders it is our belief that companies which actively address their ESG risks & opportunities provide good investment prospects as society is increasingly looking to corporates to help solve the growing environment and social problems we face. Identifying companies early on in their transition to ESG leaders, or those that are providing efficiency saving products and services (for example, into high carbon intensive industries) could benefit from the strongest returns, as investors and consumer pressure for action increases.
Our approach to managing the fund is guided by the following investment principles:
- Long-term investment approach, focussing on high quality companies by adopting a pragmatic approach, seeking consistent and repeatable investment returns.
- Differentiated ESG/engagement approach to select companies
- Performance driven by active, bottom up stock picking, complemented by thematic and macro inputs
- Concentrated portfolios with high active share
Step 1: Idea Generation
From the initial investment universe of UK listed companies, we screen out companies based on AXA IM Sectorial policies and ESG standards, filtering out what we deem the worst companies with regards to ESG.
The AXA IM RI sectoral policies enable us to address ESG tail-risks, which include policies on controversial weapons, climate risks, soft commodities derivatives and ecosystem protection and deforestation which are applied across all the assets we manage;
The AXA IM ESG standards focus on:
- Tobacco - to avoid financing the tobacco industry and thus contribute to protecting public health;
- White phosphorus weapons producers - to avoid financing Companies involved in the development, production, maintenance or sale of white phosphorus weapons;
- Violations of International norms and standards - to avoid investing in companies which cause, contribute or are linked to violations of international norms and standards in a material manner, focusing in particular on the UNGC, OECD guidelines for MNE, ILO Conventions or UNGP for Business and Human Rights;
- Severe controversies - avoid investing in companies involved in incidents and events that pose a severe business or reputation risk to a company due to the impact on stakeholders or the environment;
- ESG quality - to avoid financing companies with the worst ESG practices.
- Countries with severe human rights violations - avoid investing in debt instruments issued by countries where the worst forms of human right violations are observed.
More details on our ESG Standards can be found on our website.
The investment team then look for multi-year themes which are already investable with proven commercial viability, and avoid chasing niches/fads. The three key investment areas identified are People, Planet and Progress. These 3 P’s seek to capture the secular growth associated with changes arising from ageing demographics and social change, the critical need to limit temperature rises from carbon emissions and the relentless move towards increased digitalisation.
- opportunities in areas such as healthcare, financial planning and leisure activities.
- Planet: the importance of limiting temperature rises is accelerating the need to dramatically cut carbon emissions, increase the amount of renewable energy, and use the planet’s resources more sustainably.
- Progress: the relentless focus on digitalisation provides a route towards sustainability, carbon neutrality, equality and improving skills worldwide. Companies also play a critical role in keeping us safe as more people move online.
The team then rank companies from best to worst based on their ESG score. The top two quartiles are considered as “ESG Leader” e.g. companies that have demonstrated leadership on sustainability issues through strong ESG practices, with the others deemed to be “In Transition” those showing a clear commitment to improve their ESG practices. At least 50% of the portfolio will consist of “ESG Leader” companies.
The identification of these three key themes, the exclusion of stocks for liquidity reasons (Market cap > £100m[1]), the ESG profile (classification of “ESG Leader” and companies deemed “In Transition”) and our growth filter (financial stability, growth profile, market positioning) allow the team to achieve an investable universe. The company fundamental and in-depth ESG analysis mainly focusses on these stocks from which we then select a portfolio of typically circa 40-60 stocks.
Step 2: Stock Selection
The investment process is based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis with an emphasis on meeting with companies. Bottom-up fundamental analysis is key to the investment process, combining in-house analysis, company meetings and external research. Fundamental analysis drives stock selection, with ESG analysis and valuation central to the decision making process.
The investment team conducts a rigorous ESG assessment of a company, identifying good business practises and areas that could pose potential investment risks. Below are the areas of E, S and G which are taken into consideration at company level.
Company meetings
A critical aspect of the manager’s fundamental research is meeting with company management. This first-hand information and insight is very important in the analysis process as it allows the manager to effectively test the quality of the company’s leadership, scrutinise the quality of the business franchise and evaluate management’s strategy for growth. Meetings with management must fully validate the portfolio manager’s initial views and investment reasoning.
The Manager regularly engages with companies, particularly those who are on a journey of improvement, and challenges practices to encourage positive change. We believe that regular engagement with company management acts as a very important tool that we, as active managers, use to influence and guide businesses in setting best practices across all areas of ESG.
Valuation
Valuation framework is another main element of the investment process. Ultimately, every investment decision taken by the portfolio manager is considered in the context of the potential for growth, relative to the price paid. To ensure that we do not overpay for growth, each prospective company is subjected to a full evaluation of its financial and operational structure in conjunction with its prevailing market value. Through quantitative analysis, the manager focuses principally on absolute valuation, supplemented by relative valuation, using a multitude of valuation metrics including: P/E, EPS, earnings yield and growth, dividend growth, free cash flow, Return on Invested Capital etc.
Step 3: Portfolio Construction
Portfolio construction is forward-looking and aimed at maximising growth potential while ensuring strict risk controls are adhered to. The portfolio is managed on a multi-cap basis, which allows the portfolio manager to invest in a broad spectrum of businesses, unconstrained by sector. Diversification takes place at the stock level (not at a sectoral level), as the portfolio manager considers all types of companies based on the principle of ‘think globally, invest locally’. The proposed strategy tends to have a bias towards large and medium sized companies which have greater growth potential and leading or improving ESG practices. The official benchmark of the FTSE All-Share Index is used as a point of reference.
The portfolio typically holds 40 to 60 stocks, depending on market conditions. The manager constructs the portfolio within strictly defined risk parameters and it is continuously monitored and measured against these risk parameters on a daily basis, to minimise unintended concentration of risk. We aim of to ensure sufficient diversification of equity risk while also optimising the risk/return profile.
Portfolio guidelines:
- Typically 40–60 stocks
- Multi-cap approach, driven by stock-specific opportunity
- Exposure to “ESG Leader” typically >50%*
- 2-4% maximum individual position in a large cap company at cost
- 1-3% maximum individual position in a small cap company at cost
- 6% maximum single position size
- Market cap typically > GBP 100 million
- Low portfolio turnover, typically 30% or lower.
- Active share typically >70%
Please note that these guidelines represent soft internal limits and may be subject to change according to market conditions.
The manager also monitors various risk measures such as volatility and beta at both stock and portfolio level. There are no formal limits or ranges for these measures, but this acts as a useful discipline for the manager.
[1] We would rarely invest in companies with a market cap below £100 million.
Resources, Affiliations & Corporate Strategies:
External Qualitative Research
We use the research of ESG specialists like MSCI, Sustainalytics, ISS (proxy voting and UN SDG alignment) to complement the contribution of quantitative ratings. Investment professionals also have access to external qualitative research through brokers, etc.
Internal Qualitative Research
The RI research capabilities are organised as follows:
- A central ESG Research Team focusing on thematic research, corporate governance, and shareholders engagement as well as on developing quantitative solutions. Climate, human capital/ diversity, and health have been identified as the key thematic priorities for this team.
- ESG specialists within the investment platforms conduct ESG analysis at the company level.
We have 25 dedicated RI experts, embedded within investment and research teams, who are responsible for our RI-related activities and cover Research, Data/Scoring, Analytics, Stock/Credit Analysis and Active Ownership/Engagement.
We can also rely on 100 professionals whose RI is an essential in their day-to-day routine; this category of staff is composed of PMs, credit analysts, sales, investment analytic people and Investments specialists
More specifically, the RI research capabilities are organised as follows, within AXA IM Core:
- A RI Research team responsible for thematic research with a focus on climate, biodiversity, human capital & diversity as well as health, nutrition, and data privacy, ensuring it translates into implementable investment decisions across platforms. This team also leads shareholders engagement on those themes. Within this team, dedicated RI Analysts are in charge of defining the eligible Green, Social and Sustainability bonds universe. They rely on our proprietary framework notably inspired by the Green and Social Bond Principle (GSBP) and the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) Standards.
- A RI Coordination and Governance team responsible for transversal RI projects and corporate governance including voting policy on key themes mentioned above. The Active Ownership strategy is built and led jointly with the RI Research team.
- A RI Solutions, Tools and Models team dedicated to the development of ESG quantitative solutions. As such, the team has developed a proprietary ESG framework and RI Search platform, providing portfolio managers and analysts with ESG raw quantitative data, KPIs, internal and external research and ESG scores.
- ESG specialists within the investment platforms oversee product development, the operational implementation of ESG processes, building portfolio RI eligible universes and support the integration of ESG criteria and RI approaches within portfolio construction and decision-making processes.
- ESG analysts integrated within investment teams: ESG specialists are embedded the investment teams to conduct ESG analysis at the company level, working closely with fund managers. They integrate ESG criteria in their assessment of an investment, our conviction being that ESG provides a complementary analysis to traditional financial research; these issues may have financial impacts for companies in the short and/or long-term time horizon.
- Impact analysts integrated within investment teams: they perform qualitative impact analysis on companies based on five key pillars, reviewing their products or services and operational activities to demonstrates whether a company contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals or to a specific impact.
ESG related business development activities are led by specialized investment specialists, who work hand in hand with investment teams. Ultimate accountability for responsible investing lies with Hans Stoter, Head of AXA IM Core.
We play a proactive role in several industry initiatives and groups and take a leadership role as often as possible, as highlighted below:
30% French Club Investor Group, 30% UK Club Investor Group, Access to Medicine Index, Access to Nutrition Initiative, ALIGN Project under EU Business@Biodiversity programme, Asset Management and Investors Council (AMIC) - Sustainable Finance Working Group, Association Française de Gestion (AFG) - Responsible Investment and Corporate Governance Committees, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), CERES, Climate Action 100+, Climate Bonds Initiative, Coalition Transition Juste, EC B@B (European Commission Business@Biodiversity), ESG Open Data Platform, European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) Stewardship and ESG Standing Committee, European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA), Eurosif (European Sustainable Investment Forum), Finance for Biodiversity Foundation, Forum per la Finanza Sostenibile (ItaSIF), FIR (Forum pour l’Investissement Responsible - France), GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network), Green Building Council Italie, GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark), ICMA - Green and Social Bond Principles, ICMA - Sustainable Finance Committee, IIGCC (Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change), Impact Management Project, INREV (European Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles), Investment Association (IA) - Sustainability and Responsible Investment Committee, Net Zero Asset Managers, Observatoire de l'Immobilier Durable (OID), One Planet Asset Management WG, Operating principles for Impact Management, UN PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment), Responsible Investment Association Australasia, SASB - Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, ULI (Urban Land Institute), UN PRI - Deforestation Commodities Practitioners Group, UNEP FI (United Nations Environmental Program Finance Initiative), VBDO (Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development).
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Dialshifter
This fund is helping to ‘shift the dial from brown to green’ by...
We aim to find the companies that will be providing the innovation, products and solutions that will help the world to address its climate, demographic and social challenges. We will also be investing in companies where their ambition is to make everyday products or services more sustainable, efficient & inclusive for the benefit of society as a whole. It is our belief that by encouraging this combination of small everyday incremental gains with step changing innovation that investors can hope to make the biggest difference to these global challenges.
Our organisation is helping to support the Paris Climate Agreement and the Race to Net Zero by..
AXA IM is a founding member of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAMI), and as such has made a public commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To date, we consider that 41% of AXA IM's (eligible) assets under management are already on track to be carbon neutral by 2050 or earlier, with the aim of continuing to increase the proportion of net zero assets from 2022 onwards and over time (on which we will report to NZAMI, PRI, CDP in due course).
SDR Labelling:
Unlabelled with sustainable characteristics
- Consumer Facing Disclosure link
SDR Literature:
Disclaimer
This document has been prepared by AXA Investment Managers for the sole use of the company to whom it is addressed. It may not be copied or circulated, in whole or in part, outside that company, without the prior written consent of AXA Investment Managers. Whilst reasonable care has been taken by AXA Investment Managers to ensure that this document is current at the date of issue, no warranty of accuracy is given, and any information contained within it may be subject to change without notice. Furthermore, the data including but not limited to scenarios and investment guidelines set forth in these materials are presented for indicative and/or illustrative purpose and such data including but not limited to scenarios and investment guidelines could vary significantly from the final investment policy and/or actual results. The figures provided relate to previous months or years and past performance is not a reliable indicator as to future performance. The value of investments may fall as well as rise and investors may get back less than they put in. Nothing contained within this document shall constitute an offer to enter into, or a term or condition of, any contract with the recipient or any other party. This document shall not be deemed to constitute investment advice, or an offer for sale or solicitation to invest in any particular fund. Subscriptions to funds are accepted only from eligible investors on the basis of the relevant current prospectus or Information Memorandum.
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In September 2023 AXA streghthened their RI policies:
- Climate Risk
- Controversial Weapons
- EcoSystem Protection & Deforestation
- Soft Commodities
Please see the text under “Exclusion” in each section for changes.
No major changes have been made to the AXA IM ESG Standards Policy, however this document was also updated and strengthened as at September 2023.
The policies can be found on the AXA IM website (Our Policies and Reports | AXA IM UK (axa-im.co.uk)).
Fund Name | SRI Style | SDR Labelling | Product | Region | Asset Type | Launch Date | Last Amended |
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AXA Global Distribution Fund |
Sustainability Tilt | Unlabelled with sustainable characteristics | OEIC | Global | Equity | 16/05/2008 | Apr 2022 | |
Fund Size: £270.93m (as at: 31/12/2024) ISIN: GB0008308982, GB0008309287, GB0008309170, GB00BMXW7B65, GB00BPX34N19, GB0008309063 |
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Sustainable, Responsible &/or ESG OverviewAwaiting update from fund manager (July 2024)
The aim of the AXA Global Sustainable Distribution fund is to achieve long-term capital growth by identifying structural growth companies listed in the UK that have sustainable business practices which balance growth without compromising the needs of future generations. The strategy aims to achieve this by investing in global equities and inflation-linked bonds. The fund’s typical asset mix and characteristics are detailed below:
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Primary fund last amended: Apr 2022 |
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Information received directly from Fund Manager |
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Fund FiltersSustainability - General
Sustainability policy
Funds that have policies that consider (environmental and social) sustainability issues. Strategies vary but are likely to consider environmental issues like climate change, carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, resource management, environmental impacts; and social issues like equal opportunities, human rights, labour standards, diversity and adherence to internationally recognised codes. See fund information.
Sustainability focus
Find funds which substantially focus on sustainability issues
Sustainability theme or focus
Find funds where there is a significant emphasis on (environmental and social) sustainability. Funds with a 'sustainability theme' typically place more emphasis on the area than funds with a 'sustainability policy' - meaning that it is more likely to drive investment selection. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Encourage more sustainable practices through stewardship
A core element of these funds aim to encourage higher sustainability standards across business practices through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity
UN Global Compact linked exclusion policy
Find funds that use the UN Global Compact to inform or help direct where they can or cannot invest and will typically not invest in companies with significant breaches (low standards) - although strategies vary. (The UNGC covers a wide range of issues - search 'UNGC'). See https://unglobalcompact.org/
Report against sustainability objectives
Find funds that publicly report their performance against specifically named sustainability objectives (in addition to reporting their financial performance) Environmental - General
Environmental policy
Funds that have policies which relate to environmental issues. These will typically set out the fund's stance on issues such as pollution, climate change, resource management, biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, plastics and/or additional environmental impacts. Strategies vary. See fund information for further information.
Limits exposure to carbon intensive industries
Funds that limit or 'reduce' their exposure to carbon intensive industries (ie sectors which are major contributors to climate change. Funds vary - some funds may be 'underweight' in this area which means they may have some investment in highly carbon intensive areas. Funds of this kind may choose companies they consider to be 'best in sector' and encourage ever higher standards. Strategies vary. See fund information for further details.
Favours cleaner, greener companies
Funds that aim to invest in companies with strong or market leading environmental policies and practices. Strategies vary - in particular the balance between 'financial' aspects and environmental benefits. Some may invest substantially in solutions or 'positive impact' companies - others may invest in more conventional companies providing certain environmental criteria are met. See fund information for further detail. Nature & Biodiversity
Biodiversity / nature policy
Find funds that have a written biodiversity policy or theme aimed at encouraging and improving environmental protection and safeguarding the natural world (sometimes referred to as the preservation or enhancement of 'natural capital'). See eg https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity
Deforestation / palm oil policy
Find funds that have policies in place designed to ensure they do not invest in companies that are significantly involved in deforestation. This typically relates to palm oil plantations where biodiversity loss is a major concern (as well as other issues). Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Illegal deforestation exclusion policy
Find funds that have policies in place explaining that they avoid companies involved in illegal and/or unsustainable deforestation. This may relate to palm oil, cattle farming or other concerns. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Avoids genetically modified seeds/crop production
Find funds that aim to avoid investing in companies that produce genetically modified seeds or crops. (This does not typically include avoiding companies such as supermarkets). See fund literature for further information. Climate Change & Energy
Climate change / greenhouse gas emissions policy
Funds that have policies (documented strategies that explain their position on) climate change related issues such as greenhouse gas/carbon emissions, net zero, transitioning to lower carbon. Strategies vary. Read fund details for further information.
Coal, oil & / or gas majors excluded
Funds that avoid investing in major coal, oil and/or gas (extraction) companies. Funds vary: some may exclude all companies that extract oil. Others may have exposure to oil extraction via more diversified energy companies. See fund literature to confirm details.
Fracking and tar sands excluded
Funds that avoid companies involved in fracking and tar sands - which are widely regarded as controversial methods of oil and gas extraction. Strategies vary. See fund information for further information.
Arctic drilling exclusion
Funds that avoid companies that are involved in extracting oil from the Arctic regions. See fund literature for further details.
Encourage transition to low carbon through stewardship activity
A core element of these funds will aim to encourage the transition to lower carbon activities through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity
Invests in clean energy / renewables
Funds that hold companies in the clean energy and renewable energy sectors (at the time research was supplied). Fund strategies vary, in particular the proportion of investment in these areas may vary significantly. Check fund literature for details.
Require net zero action plan from all/most companies
Find funds that require all, or almost all, of the companies it invests in to have a ‘net zero action plan’ - meaning that the companies they invest in have worked out how they will, over time, reduce their total carbon (and other greenhouse gas) emissions to nil. Social / Employment
Social policy
Find funds that have policies which set out their approach to social issues (e.g. human rights, labour standards, equal opportunities, child labour and adherence to internationally recognised codes such as the UN Global Compact). Funds with social policies typically avoid companies with low standards or work to encourage higher standards. See fund information for detail.
Labour standards policy
Find funds that have a labour standards policy - which can be expected to mean that the fund will invest in / favour companies that have higher standards in this area - although fund strategies can vary significantly (as with all policy areas). See eg https://www.ilo.org/international-labour-standards
Favours companies with strong social policies
Find funds that invest in line with positive strategies that relate to 'people' issues - such as having strong human rights, labour standards and equal opportunities practices. Such funds are likely to invest in companies that have market leading standards with regard to employee and supplier practices. Read fund literature for further information. Ethical Values Led Exclusions
Ethical policies
Find funds that have policies that set out their position on ethical or 'personal values' based issues. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Armaments manufacturers avoided
Find funds that avoid companies that manufacture products intended specifically for military use. Fund strategies vary - particularly with regard to non-strategic military products. See fund literature for fund specific details.
Civilian firearms production exclusion
Find funds with a written civilian firearms exclusion policy - meaning that they will not invest in companies that make (or perhaps also sell) handguns made for non-military users.
Gambling avoidance policy
Find funds that avoid companies with significant involvement in the gambling industry. Some funds may allow a small proportion of profits to come from this area. See fund policy for further details.
Pornography avoidance policy
Find funds that avoid companies that derive significant income from pornography and related areas. Strategies vary. See fund details for further information.
Animal testing - excluded except if for medical purposes
Find funds that avoid companies that test their products on animals for purposes other than medical benefit (e.g. for cosmetics). Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information. Human Rights
Human rights policy
Find funds that have policies relating to human rights issues. Funds of this kind typically require companies to demonstrate higher standards, although some fund managers work to encourage improvements. Investee companies are often judged against internationally agreed norms or standards. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.
Child labour exclusion
Find funds that have policies in place to ensure they do not invest in companies that employ children.
Oppressive regimes (not free or democratic) exclusion policy
Find funds with policies that exclude companies or other assets where regimes are not democratic, or where people may be oppressed. May use eg. Freedom House research. Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.
Responsible supply chain policy or theme
Find funds that have policies or a theme that relates to the responsible management of supply chains. These may relate to employment issues, notably people employed by their suppliers, as well as the sourcing of materials and products. See fund literature for further information. Gilts & Sovereigns
Gilts / government bonds - exclude some
Find funds that avoid investing in 'some' gilts or government bonds. Strategies vary, but this may relate to avoiding specific countries or particular reasons for bond issuance. 'Green gilts' for example would be likely to be acceptable. See fund literature for further information. Governance & Management
Governance policy
Find fund options that have policies that relate to corporate governance issues such as board structure, executive remuneration, bribery and/or corporate corruption. These funds will typically avoid companies with poor practices. Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.
Avoids companies with poor governance
Find funds that aim to avoid investing in companies with poor governance practices.(e.g. board structure, management practices etc.) Views may however vary on what counts as 'poor' practices - and funds may not immediately divest as they may prefer to work to encourage higher standards. See fund literature for further information.
UN sanctions exclusion
Exclude companies that are subject to United Nations sanctions. See eg https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/un-sc-consolidated-list
Anti-bribery and corruption policy
Find funds that have policies explaining how managers will respond to assets / companies that do not comply with relevant anti-bribery and anti-corruption standards or laws. Strategies vary; options include stewardship/ engagement and divestment - or a combination. See fund literature for further information.
Encourage board diversity e.g. gender
Fund managers encourage the companies they invest in to have more diverse board structures (e.g. more women on boards)
Encourage higher ESG standards through stewardship activity
A core element of these funds will aim to encourage higher ESG standards through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement /voting activity Fund Governance
ESG integration strategy
Find funds that factor in 'environmental, social and governance' issues as part of their investment decision making process. A focus on 'ESG' typically means a fund is carrying out additional research to help reduce ESG related risks. It does not necessarily mean a focus on sustainability. Strategies vary. See fund literature. Asset Size
Over 50% small / mid cap companies
Find funds where more than half of the funds' assets are invested in smaller or medium sized companies (i.e. below around £5 -10 billion).
Invests in small, mid and large cap companies / assets
Find a fund that invests in a combination of small, medium and larger (potentially multinational)companies. Targeted Positive Investments
Invests >25% of fund in environmental/social solutions companies
Find funds that invest >25% of their capital towards companies where a major part of their business is focused on helping to address environmental or social challenges.
Invests >50% of fund in environmental/social solutions companies
Find funds that invest >50% of their capital in companies where a major part of their business is focused on helping to address environmental or social challenges. Impact Methodologies
Invests in environmental solutions companies
Find funds that direct investment towards companies where a major part of their business is about solving environmental challenges. e.g. companies helping to address climate change.
Invests in social solutions companies
Find funds that invest in companies where a major part of their business is specifically aimed at helping to address social challenges. e.g. companies helping to address poverty.
Invests in sustainability / ESG disruptors
Find funds that specifically set out to invest in companies that are regarded as 'disrupting' existing business practices - typically through the development of innovative (sustainability aware) products and/or practices. How The Fund Works
Positive selection bias
Find funds that focus on finding and investing in companies with positive / beneficial attributes. This strategy can be applied in addition to exclusion criteria and engagement/stewardship activity.
Negative selection bias
Find funds where their main 'ethical approach' is to avoid companies by using negative screening criteria. Read fund literature for further information.
Strictly screened ethical fund
Find funds where their main approach is to apply positive or negative ethical, social and / or environmental screens. Strictly screened funds are likely to exclude more companies than other related fund options. See fund literature for further information.
Selection criteria / strategy may alter in adverse markets
Finds funds that may alter/soften or move away from their regular ESG/sustainability/ethical investment selection criteria when investment market conditions become difficult
ESG weighted / tilt
Find funds that invest more heavily in those that have higher ESG ratings/standards or scores and less heavily in companies with lower ESG ratings. Where this is central to a fund's strategy you should expect it to invest in most sectors. Strategies vary.
Significant harm exclusion
Aims to avoid companies that do significant harm. This originates from the EU’s sustainable finance ‘DNSH’ (do no significant harm) work, which is not necessarily used by UK investors.
Assets mapped to SDGs
Find funds that have 'mapped' (reviewed) their investment selection and management strategies to identify which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the fund is helping to address.
Combines norms based exclusions with other SRI criteria
Find funds that make significant use of internationally agreed 'norms' (e.g. United Nations Global Compact - UNGC - or the UN Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs) as part of their investment selection process alongside additional SRI criteria such as positive or negative stock selection policies and/or stewardship strategies.
Combines ESG strategy with other SRI criteria
Find funds that have an ESG strategy (which is typically focused on avoiding companies that pose environmental, social or governance related risks) with additional criteria such as positive and/or negative screens, themes and stewardship strategies.
Balances company 'pros and cons' / best in sector
Find funds that consider both the 'positive' and 'negative' aspects of company behaviour and make balanced, considered decisions as part of their investment approach. May apply to a range of different issues and policy areas.
Norms focus
Find funds that use internationally agreed standards, conventions and 'norms' to help direct where the fund can and cannot invest (e.g. the UN Global Compact, UN Sustainable Development Goals). Read fund literature for further information.
Focus on ESG risk mitigation
A major focus of these funds is the careful management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) related risks - typically by avoiding or being underweight in companies seen as posing major risks in these areas (i.e. not necessarily by using themes, exclusions etc).
SRI / ESG / Ethical policies explained on website
Find funds that have published explanations of their ethical, social and/or environmental policies online (i.e. fund decision making strategies/ buy/sell &/or asset management strategies). Intended Clients & Product Options
Intended for investors interested in sustainability
Finds funds designed to meet the needs of individual investors with an interest in sustainability issues.
Available via an ISA (OEIC only)
Find funds that are available via a tax efficient ISA product wrapper.
Portfolio SRI / ESG options available (DFMs)
Only applicable for DFM’s & portfolio providers. Finds those that offer an SRI / ESG portfolio option
Multiple SRI / ESG portfolio options available (DFMs)
Only applicable for DFM’s & portfolio providers. Find service providers who offer multiple SRI / ESG portfolio options
Bespoke SRI / ESG portfolios available (DFMs)
Only applicable for DFM’s & portfolio providers. Find service providers who offer bespoke ('personalised') SRI / ESG portfolio options Fund Management Company InformationAbout The Business
Boutique / specialist fund management company
Find fund management companies that are smaller or specialise in particular areas - notably, ideally ESG related. Strategies vary.
Specialist positive impact fund management company
Find fund management companies (or subsidiaries) that specialise in - or focus entirely on - investing in assets that are helping to deliver positive environmental and / or social impacts.
Responsible ownership / stewardship policy or strategy (AFM company wide)
Finds fund management companies that have a published company wide stewardship, engagement and / or responsible ownership policy or strategy that covers all investments. Stewardship typically involves encouraging higher ESG standards through voting and dialogue.
ESG / SRI engagement (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that actively encourage higher 'environmental, social and governance' and/or 'sustainable and responsible investment' practices across investee companies - typically where the aim is to encourage positive change that is aligned with the best interests of investors. Strategies vary. See additional information and options.
Vote all* shares at AGMs / EGMs (AFM company wide)
Find fund managers that vote all* the shares they own at Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings. A commitment to voting shares is a key indicator of 'responsible share ownership' demonstrating their support for or disagreement with management policy. (*situations can legitimately, occasionally occur where voting proves impossible, but in principle all shares should be voted.)
Responsible ownership / ESG a key differentiator (AFM company wide)
Find fund managers that consider responsible ownership and ESG to be a key differentiator for their business.
Sustainable property strategy (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that take sustainability criteria into account when selecting and/or managing all of their property / real estate investments.
Senior management KPIs include environmental goals (AFM company wide)
The leadership team of this asset manager have performance targets linked to environmental goals.
SDG aligned aims / objectives (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that aim to align all their investments (across all funds) to help meet the aims of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Responsible ownership policy for non SRI funds (AFM company wide)
Find funds run by fund managers that apply Responsible ownership or 'Stewardship' policies to all or most of their investment assets. This means active involvement (e.g. voting, dialogue) with the companies they invest in across funds (not normally limited to ethical or SRI options.) Read fund literature for further information.
Integrates ESG factors into all / most (AFM) fund research
Find fund management companies that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when deciding whether or not to invest in a company for all / almost all of their funds and other assets. This is increasingly seen as part of sound risk management.
In-house diversity improvement programme (AFM company wide)
Finds organisations / fund managers that have an in-house (company wide) diversity improvement programme - meaning that they are working to ensure that within their own businesses they employ people from diverse backgrounds - often typically focused on ethnicity and/or sex.
Diversity, equality & inclusion engagement policy (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that encourage the companies they invest in to have strong diversity, race, gender and other equality policies across all assets held, not simply screened or themed SRI/ESG funds. (ie Asset Management company wide). Collaborations & Affiliations
PRI signatory
Find fund management companies that have signed up to the UN backed 'Principles of Responsible Investment'.
UKSIF member
Find fund management companies that are members of UKSIF - the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance association
TNFD forum member (AFM company wide)
A member of the Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosures group which aims to aid risk management and shift money towards nature-positive outcomes. Resources
In-house responsible ownership / voting expertise
Find fund management companies that employ people to steer and support fund managers in voting shares at company AGM's and EGMs in ways that are consistent with encouraging higher ESG/sustainability standards.
Employ specialist ESG / SRI / sustainability researchers
Find a fund management company that directly employs specialist ESG/SRI/sustainability researchers or analysts. This allows asset managers to discuss environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities directly with companies.
Use specialist ESG / SRI / sustainability research companies
Find fund management companies that makes use of expert external research companies. This can help deliver specialist expertise and means resources are pooled with other investors.
ESG specialists on all investment desks (AFM company wide)
Finds organisations / fund managers that have one or more ESG/sustainability experts on all investment teams or 'desks' (all asset types) Accreditations
PRI A+ rated (AFM company wide)
Finds organisations / fund managers that have an A+ PRI rating - meaning they are highly rated according to the 'Principles of Responsible Investment'
UK Stewardship Code signatory (AFM company wide)
Find fund managers that are signatories to the FRC UK Stewardship Code, which sets out a framework for constructive investor / investee relations where fund managers are encouraged to behave like responsible, typically longer term 'company owners'. Engagement Approach
Regularly lead collaborative ESG initiatives (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that regularly initiate or run industry wide (collaborative) investor projects aimed at raising environmental, social and governance standards amongst investee companies.
Encourage responsible corporate taxation (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that are working with the companies they invest in to encourage more responsible corporate taxation. Company Wide Exclusions
Controversial weapons avoidance policy (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies (not funds) that avoid investment in 'controversial weapons' across all of their funds and other investment vehicles.
Tobacco avoidance policy (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that avoid investment in tobacco (manufacturing) companies across all their assets.
Fossil fuel exclusion policy (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that avoid investment in fossil fuel companies (e.g. coal, oil and gas) across all of their funds. (and/ or other assets.)
Review(ing) carbon / fossil fuel exposure for all funds (AFM company wide)
Find funds / fund managers that are reviewing, or have reviewed, their exposure to carbon intensive industries including (but not only) mining, oil and gas companies. (Typically with reference to climate change.)
Coal divestment policy (AFM company wide)
This asset manager has a strategy in place that will lead them to exit direct investments in the coal mining industry. Managers ability to do this may depend on the geographic regions in which they invest.
Coal exclusion policy (group wide coal mining exclusion policy)
This asset manager excludes direct investment in the coal mining industry. Managers ability to do this may depend on the geographic regions in which they invest. Climate & Net Zero Transition
Net Zero commitment (AFM company wide)
Fund management organisations that have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’. Strategies vary - this area is changing rapidly.
Voting policy includes net zero targets (AFM company wide)
Fund manager AGM / EGM voting strategy has processes in place that mean they will normally be expected to vote in a way that will encourage the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Publish 'CEO owned' Climate Risk policy (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that have published a Climate Risk policy or statement that is signed / owned by their Chief Executive.
Net Zero - have set a Net Zero target date (AFM company wide)
This asset management company has set a date by which they plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas / CO2e emissions.
Encourage carbon / greenhouse gas reduction (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that are working with the companies they invest in to encourage reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon transition plan published (AFM company wide)
Finds organisations / fund managers that have a company wide carbon transition plan - meaning that they have plotted a path to how they will move away from activities that produce or use carbon based energy sources (that emit greenhouse gases) towards clean, alternative, renewable energy sources.
‘Forward Looking Climate Metrics’ published / ITR (AFM company wide)
Finds organisations / fund managers that have published ‘forward looking climate metrics’ e.g. 'implied temperature rise' data that are a total of the asset management company's share (% owned) of all the investee company emissions of the assets they manage, as well as their own direct and other indirect emissions.
Carbon offsetting – do NOT offset carbon as part of net zero plan (AFM company wide)
This asset management company plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (CO2e) emissions by reducing their emissions. Calculations and scope vary.
In-house carbon / GHG reduction policy (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that are working to reduce their own (fund management company) carbon/greenhouse gas emissions.
Working towards a ‘Net Zero’ commitment (AFM company wide)
Finds organisations / fund management companies that are in the process of working out how to make a ‘net zero commitment’ - meaning that when that is finalised they will have started the process of reducing their total greenhouse gas emissions to'zero'. Transparency
Publish responsible ownership / stewardship report (AFM company wide)
Find fund management companies that publish a report detailing their responsible investment ownership - also known as 'Stewardship' - activity.
Full SRI / responsible ownership policy information on company website
Find companies that publish information about their sustainable and responsible investment strategies on their company website.
Full SRI / responsible ownership policy information available on request
Find fund management companies that will supply information about their sustainable and responsible investment activity on request.
Publish full voting record (AFM company wide)
Fund management companies that publish a full record of how they vote their shares at AGMs (annual general meetings) and EGMs (extraordinary general meetings). Voting strategies have an important role to play encouraging higher environmental, social and governance standards.
Sustainability transition plan publicly available (AFM company wide)
This asset management company has published a plan that explains how they are to become a sustainable business - without significant negative environmental or social impacts.
Paris Alignment plan publicly available (AFM company wide)
This asset management company has published a plan that explains how they will align to the climate change commitments made at the Paris Climate Talks, COP21.
Net Zero transition plan publicly available (AFM company wide)
This asset management company has published a plan that explains how they are going to achieve net zero greenhouse gas / CO2e emissions.
Dialshifter statement
Find fund management companies that have supplied Dialshifter information. See Dialshifter tab within record for more information. Sustainable, Responsible &/or ESG Policy:The Fund invests in shares of UK listed companies, bonds issued by the UK government (gilts), including index-linked gilts and cash. The Fund’s typical asset mix ranges between 50-60% of its Net Asset Value invested in shares, with the remainder being invested mostly in gilts and cash. The ACD selects shares in companies based upon their prospects for future growth of capital and dividend payments following an in depth analysis of the quality of their business model, financial status, and corporate governance arrangements. Investments in gilts are diversified across a range of maturities. The ACD has full discretion to select investments for the Fund in line with the above investment policy and in doing so may take into consideration a composite benchmark made up of the following indices in the stated proportions: 55% FTSE All-Share Index; 17.5% FTSE Index-Linked All Stocks; 17.5% FTSE Index-Linked < 5 Years; 3.5% FTSE Gilts All Stocks; 3.5% FTSE Gilts < 5 Years; 3% SONIA Compounded Index (the “Benchmark”). This Benchmark best represents the types of bonds and companies in which the Fund predominantly invests. The Fund may also invest at the ACD’s discretion in other transferable securities, cash, deposits, units in collective investment schemes and money market instruments. The Fund may use derivatives for investment purposes as well as for Efficient Portfolio Management. Use may be made of borrowing, cash holdings, hedging and other investment techniques permitted in the applicable Financial Conduct Authority rules. The Benchmark may be used by investors to compare the Fund’s performance.
In the securities selection process, the Investment Manager bindingly applies at all times AXA IM’s Sectorial Exclusion with the exception of derivatives and underlying eligible UCIs, as described in the documents available on the website: https://www.axa-im.com/responsible-investing/sectorinvestment-guidelines. The ESG criteria contribute to, but are not a determining factor in, the Investment Manager's decision making.
Process:The fund is managed with a GARP (growth at a reasonable price) investment style. The investment team has an active remit to find those companies that can exhibit sustainable growth in profits and cash at an attractive valuation. In this disciplined investment approach, the investment team looks to add value by combining top-down thematic growth drivers with rigorous analysis of non – financial ESG metrics alongside bottom-up fundamentals.
We aim to find the companies that will be providing the innovation, products and solutions that will help the world to address its climate, demographic and social challenges. We will also be investing in companies where their ambition is to make everyday products or services more sustainable, efficient & inclusive for the benefit of society as a whole. It is our belief that by encouraging this combination of small everyday incremental gains with step changing innovation that investors can hope to make the biggest difference to these global challenges. As long-term shareholders it is our belief that companies which actively address their ESG risks & opportunities provide good investment prospects as society is increasingly looking to corporates to help solve the growing environment and social problems we face. Identifying companies early on in their transition to ESG leaders, or those that are providing efficiency saving products and services (for example, into high carbon intensive industries) could benefit from the strongest returns, as investors and consumer pressure for action increases.
Our approach to managing the fund is guided by the following investment principles:
Step 1: Idea Generation From the initial investment universe of UK listed companies, we screen out companies based on AXA IM Sectorial policies and ESG standards, filtering out what we deem the worst companies with regards to ESG. The AXA IM RI sectoral policies enable us to address ESG tail-risks, which include policies on controversial weapons, climate risks, soft commodities derivatives and ecosystem protection and deforestation which are applied across all the assets we manage; The AXA IM ESG standards focus on:
More details on our ESG Standards can be found on our website. The investment team then look for multi-year themes which are already investable with proven commercial viability, and avoid chasing niches/fads. The three key investment areas identified are People, Planet and Progress. These 3 P’s seek to capture the secular growth associated with changes arising from ageing demographics and social change, the critical need to limit temperature rises from carbon emissions and the relentless move towards increased digitalisation.
The team then rank companies from best to worst based on their ESG score. The top two quartiles are considered as “ESG Leader” e.g. companies that have demonstrated leadership on sustainability issues through strong ESG practices, with the others deemed to be “In Transition” those showing a clear commitment to improve their ESG practices. At least 50% of the portfolio will consist of “ESG Leader” companies.
The identification of these three key themes, the exclusion of stocks for liquidity reasons (Market cap > £100m[1]), the ESG profile (classification of “ESG Leader” and companies deemed “In Transition”) and our growth filter (financial stability, growth profile, market positioning) allow the team to achieve an investable universe. The company fundamental and in-depth ESG analysis mainly focusses on these stocks from which we then select a portfolio of typically circa 40-60 stocks.
Step 2: Stock Selection The investment process is based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis with an emphasis on meeting with companies. Bottom-up fundamental analysis is key to the investment process, combining in-house analysis, company meetings and external research. Fundamental analysis drives stock selection, with ESG analysis and valuation central to the decision making process.
The investment team conducts a rigorous ESG assessment of a company, identifying good business practises and areas that could pose potential investment risks. Below are the areas of E, S and G which are taken into consideration at company level.
Company meetings A critical aspect of the manager’s fundamental research is meeting with company management. This first-hand information and insight is very important in the analysis process as it allows the manager to effectively test the quality of the company’s leadership, scrutinise the quality of the business franchise and evaluate management’s strategy for growth. Meetings with management must fully validate the portfolio manager’s initial views and investment reasoning.
The Manager regularly engages with companies, particularly those who are on a journey of improvement, and challenges practices to encourage positive change. We believe that regular engagement with company management acts as a very important tool that we, as active managers, use to influence and guide businesses in setting best practices across all areas of ESG.
Valuation Valuation framework is another main element of the investment process. Ultimately, every investment decision taken by the portfolio manager is considered in the context of the potential for growth, relative to the price paid. To ensure that we do not overpay for growth, each prospective company is subjected to a full evaluation of its financial and operational structure in conjunction with its prevailing market value. Through quantitative analysis, the manager focuses principally on absolute valuation, supplemented by relative valuation, using a multitude of valuation metrics including: P/E, EPS, earnings yield and growth, dividend growth, free cash flow, Return on Invested Capital etc.
Step 3: Portfolio Construction Portfolio construction is forward-looking and aimed at maximising growth potential while ensuring strict risk controls are adhered to. The portfolio is managed on a multi-cap basis, which allows the portfolio manager to invest in a broad spectrum of businesses, unconstrained by sector. Diversification takes place at the stock level (not at a sectoral level), as the portfolio manager considers all types of companies based on the principle of ‘think globally, invest locally’. The proposed strategy tends to have a bias towards large and medium sized companies which have greater growth potential and leading or improving ESG practices. The official benchmark of the FTSE All-Share Index is used as a point of reference. The portfolio typically holds 40 to 60 stocks, depending on market conditions. The manager constructs the portfolio within strictly defined risk parameters and it is continuously monitored and measured against these risk parameters on a daily basis, to minimise unintended concentration of risk. We aim of to ensure sufficient diversification of equity risk while also optimising the risk/return profile.
Portfolio guidelines:
Please note that these guidelines represent soft internal limits and may be subject to change according to market conditions. The manager also monitors various risk measures such as volatility and beta at both stock and portfolio level. There are no formal limits or ranges for these measures, but this acts as a useful discipline for the manager. [1] We would rarely invest in companies with a market cap below £100 million.
Resources, Affiliations & Corporate Strategies:External Qualitative Research We use the research of ESG specialists like MSCI, Sustainalytics, ISS (proxy voting and UN SDG alignment) to complement the contribution of quantitative ratings. Investment professionals also have access to external qualitative research through brokers, etc.
Internal Qualitative Research The RI research capabilities are organised as follows:
We have 25 dedicated RI experts, embedded within investment and research teams, who are responsible for our RI-related activities and cover Research, Data/Scoring, Analytics, Stock/Credit Analysis and Active Ownership/Engagement.
We can also rely on 100 professionals whose RI is an essential in their day-to-day routine; this category of staff is composed of PMs, credit analysts, sales, investment analytic people and Investments specialists
More specifically, the RI research capabilities are organised as follows, within AXA IM Core:
ESG related business development activities are led by specialized investment specialists, who work hand in hand with investment teams. Ultimate accountability for responsible investing lies with Hans Stoter, Head of AXA IM Core.
We play a proactive role in several industry initiatives and groups and take a leadership role as often as possible, as highlighted below: 30% French Club Investor Group, 30% UK Club Investor Group, Access to Medicine Index, Access to Nutrition Initiative, ALIGN Project under EU Business@Biodiversity programme, Asset Management and Investors Council (AMIC) - Sustainable Finance Working Group, Association Française de Gestion (AFG) - Responsible Investment and Corporate Governance Committees, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), CERES, Climate Action 100+, Climate Bonds Initiative, Coalition Transition Juste, EC B@B (European Commission Business@Biodiversity), ESG Open Data Platform, European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) Stewardship and ESG Standing Committee, European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA), Eurosif (European Sustainable Investment Forum), Finance for Biodiversity Foundation, Forum per la Finanza Sostenibile (ItaSIF), FIR (Forum pour l’Investissement Responsible - France), GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network), Green Building Council Italie, GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark), ICMA - Green and Social Bond Principles, ICMA - Sustainable Finance Committee, IIGCC (Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change), Impact Management Project, INREV (European Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles), Investment Association (IA) - Sustainability and Responsible Investment Committee, Net Zero Asset Managers, Observatoire de l'Immobilier Durable (OID), One Planet Asset Management WG, Operating principles for Impact Management, UN PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment), Responsible Investment Association Australasia, SASB - Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, ULI (Urban Land Institute), UN PRI - Deforestation Commodities Practitioners Group, UNEP FI (United Nations Environmental Program Finance Initiative), VBDO (Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development).
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DialshifterThis fund is helping to ‘shift the dial from brown to green’ by... We aim to find the companies that will be providing the innovation, products and solutions that will help the world to address its climate, demographic and social challenges. We will also be investing in companies where their ambition is to make everyday products or services more sustainable, efficient & inclusive for the benefit of society as a whole. It is our belief that by encouraging this combination of small everyday incremental gains with step changing innovation that investors can hope to make the biggest difference to these global challenges.
Our organisation is helping to support the Paris Climate Agreement and the Race to Net Zero by.. AXA IM is a founding member of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAMI), and as such has made a public commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To date, we consider that 41% of AXA IM's (eligible) assets under management are already on track to be carbon neutral by 2050 or earlier, with the aim of continuing to increase the proportion of net zero assets from 2022 onwards and over time (on which we will report to NZAMI, PRI, CDP in due course).
SDR Labelling:Unlabelled with sustainable characteristics
SDR Literature:DisclaimerThis document has been prepared by AXA Investment Managers for the sole use of the company to whom it is addressed. It may not be copied or circulated, in whole or in part, outside that company, without the prior written consent of AXA Investment Managers. Whilst reasonable care has been taken by AXA Investment Managers to ensure that this document is current at the date of issue, no warranty of accuracy is given, and any information contained within it may be subject to change without notice. Furthermore, the data including but not limited to scenarios and investment guidelines set forth in these materials are presented for indicative and/or illustrative purpose and such data including but not limited to scenarios and investment guidelines could vary significantly from the final investment policy and/or actual results. The figures provided relate to previous months or years and past performance is not a reliable indicator as to future performance. The value of investments may fall as well as rise and investors may get back less than they put in. Nothing contained within this document shall constitute an offer to enter into, or a term or condition of, any contract with the recipient or any other party. This document shall not be deemed to constitute investment advice, or an offer for sale or solicitation to invest in any particular fund. Subscriptions to funds are accepted only from eligible investors on the basis of the relevant current prospectus or Information Memorandum. . In September 2023 AXA streghthened their RI policies:
Please see the text under “Exclusion” in each section for changes. No major changes have been made to the AXA IM ESG Standards Policy, however this document was also updated and strengthened as at September 2023. The policies can be found on the AXA IM website (Our Policies and Reports | AXA IM UK (axa-im.co.uk)). |