Most professional investors are used to looking at their global equity portfolios through a couple of convenient prisms. Sectors and regions have long been the preferred frameworks for allocating money. How do sustainable themes fit into this traditional equation? And is it time, perhaps, to look at allocating money in a more holistic way? In the spirit of shaking things up and exploring the whys and hows of investing in thematic equity strategies, we gathered representatives from three Swedish institutional asset owners alongside two specialised asset managers for an intellectually stimulating (and delicious) lunch in Stockholm.

While savouring the first course, we tried to dissect the recipe that makes a great thematic strategy, magic ingredients and all. As always, tastes seemed to differ, with some of the guests preferring purity and others opting for mixing things up in a multi-thematic approach.

The discussion heated up as the main course was served. There was a healthy appetite for private market thematic investments among asset owners who were keen to debate equity strategies’ potential impact. Offering some juicy arguments, the thematic managers were quite persuasive in demonstrating the various ways they could add value.

From dedicated biodiversity-themed products to new bikes, dessert offered plenty of original thematic thoughts. It may take more than lunch to change the global allocators’ prisms but it certainly isn’t difficult to see how a thematic approach can lead to sustainable and profitable investments.