Nordic as well as other investors tend to believe green bonds offer lower yields compared to other fixed income assets, which research by investment consultancy Kirstein shows. But some institutions would gladly give up "a few basis points" for the greater good, a recent webinar by NN Investment Partners highlights.
The Norwegian oil fund and several major asset managers have invested in companies tied to the Myanmar junta. Some say, though, that divestment and boycotting implicated firms would entail forfeiting influence.
Investment alliances in infrastructure fill a "market inefficiency gap" and allow investors to take more control over their money, the advisor that helped three Nordic pension funds with their recent quest for a manager tells AMWatch.
A new report reveals that Norway's sovereign wealth fund might have indirectly financed the military regime in Myanmar.
A new fund will buy up agricultural land in Denmark and Sweden to use for wind and solar power developments.
Stockholm-based Nordic Investor Services, founded in 2000, has been acquired by a global competitor.
Member pressure to invest greener has been a given since Anders Schelde joined Akademikerpension as CIO more than three years ago. Even though he and the rest of the management understand the feeling of urgency from members, changes have to be made in a responsible manner, Schelde tells AMWatch.
Investors in the Nordic region are increasingly having to sacrifice diversification if they want to buy into a sustainable debt boom.
Skandia has bought most of a new SEK social bond issuance from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to promote sustainable growth, poverty reduction and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Every year the Swedish government commissions an external evaluation of Sweden's AP pension funds. Hired to compile the report this year, McKinsey suggests more cooperation between the four buffer funds to increase transparency and understanding of their sustainability work. In terms of returns, one fund lagged in 2020.
Nordea US Equity Market Fund will cease to exist on May 12, 2021, the board of directors writes in a notice to shareholders.
A Nordic investor is looking for a global ESG equity strategy focusing on climate transition – one that should be categorized as an article 8 or 9 fund in accordance with the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.
By 2023, more than 80 percent of assets managed by Danske Bank on behalf of its customers must be invested in sustainability themes.
AP4, Industriens Pension, KLP and IMAS Foundation have become founding members of an investment alliance partnership with Arjun Infrastructure Partners, a club deal to invest across different sectors in Western Europe.
With a new climate plan, Danske Bank means to exclude companies generating more than 5 percent of their revenue from coal. Danish state pension giant ATP accepts up to 50 percent coal in utility companies' energy mix.
The ETF space is evolving, along with investors' needs. Three industry insiders tell AMWatch about the topic of ESG-themed exchange-traded funds gaining traction, but also about some of the other niche trends starting to develop.
The emergency relief agency Danish Red Cross has launched a catastrophe bond for volcano-related disasters with the support from Swiss asset manager Plenum Investments.
Danish transport and logistics company A.P. Møller-Maersk has basically built a "stronger base business," says ATP. However, this does not prevent the Danish pension major from criticizing Chair Jim Hagemann Snabe's pay-level, the state pension fund and Maersk shareholder said at the shipping company's AGM.
An institutional investor is searching for a manager to handle its Transatlantic real estate investment mandate.
After more than quadrupling its net asset value in 2020 through excessive returns and new subscriptions by a broad array of investors, Fondita's Sustainable Europe fund has been facing more turbulence recently. Despite the ongoing market fluctuation one has to look far ahead into the future, says portfolio manager Marcus Björksten, who notes last year new investors included Central European family offices.
The proliferation of ESG investment offerings shows that managers seem to be responding to investor demands. At the same time, it's still far too challenging for retail clients to find the right sustainable investments that meet their criteria, according to think tank Planet Tracker.
Like many industry peers, Storebrand wants to have zero emissions by 2050, however, it has little value to state a long-term goal of zero missions without setting partial targets to show how to achieve it, says the firm's asset management Chief Executive, after stating new investment pledge.
The Nordic region has the highest levels of social trust in the world. Tom Van de Wiele, principal security consultant at F-Secure, notes that excessive interpersonal trust in a society can, however, make it harder for finance companies, to comprehend the need to continuously maintain a safe IT structure. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has made attacks easier in several ways.
The Pension Agency adds new asset class to its traditional portfolio alongside bonds and equities. It also becomes a shareholder together with several Swedish pension funds and foundations.
ESG funds do not automatically produce socially and environmentally redeemable impact alongside returns. Funds without an ESG label can very well have above-average net value creation regardless of image conveyed by marketing materials or ESG metrics, a new report from The Upright Project states.
Senior Analyst, Trustee & Depositary - BNY Mellon