Stockholm (NordSIP) – Storebrand launched its sustainable investment solutions in the Netherlands with the introduction of three leading strategies, Storebrand Global ESG Plus, Storebrand Global Solutions and Storebrand Global Multifactor to eligible investors. SKAGEN will distribute the funds.
Storebrand Group is Norway’s largest private asset manager and a leading Nordic provider of sustainable pensions and savings, with € 71 billion in AUM. The company has been a global pioneer in ESG investing for over 20 years, offering broad and scalable solutions for both institutional and private investors in Norway and Sweden, where it acquired SPP.
This launch in the Netherlands is part of a broader diversification of Storebrand’s business and its second expansion in less than a month. At the beginning of April, Storebrand announced the Danish launch of its leading sustainable investment solutions with the introduction of five equity funds. In March the asset manager had already expanded to the UK market.
“Sustainable solutions are more attractive than ever and demand across Europe is increasing rapidly. Our expertise in sustainability, smart beta, sustainable index and specialist active products means that we have a unique offering and through our multi-boutique platform we are well positioned to provide our solutions to a broader market,” said Jan Erik Saugestad, CEO of Storebrand Asset Management.
With € 385 million of AUM and delivering 6.1% annualised returns since inception, Storebrand Global ESG Plus is a fossil-free global equity strategy that tracks the MSCI World Index. It optimises the selection of developed market companies which score highly according to Storebrand’s Sustainability Rating, avoiding companies that rank poorly and those that extract fossil fuels or are carbon intensive. The fund was launched in April 2017 and is managed by Henrik Wold Nilsen.
Managed by Philip Ripman, Storebrand Global Solutions is an actively managed fossil-free global equity portfolio investing in sustainable impact companies. It seeks to generate alpha by identifying businesses from developed and emerging markets that provide solutions to help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. With € 226 million of AUM, it has delivered annualised returns of 12.6% since its inception in October 2012.
Launched in November 2013 managed by Andreas Poole, the Storebrand Global Multifactor strategy is a long-only, model-based investment fund that combines sustainability with four equally-weighted risk factors of value, size, momentum and low volatility. The fund invests in 300-400 large and mid-cap developed market stocks to create a sector and geography neutral portfolio. Storebrand Multifactor has EUR 2.1 billion under management and has delivered annualised returns of 11.9% since inception.
While Storebrand Global ESG Plus’s performance has been in line with the benchmark MSCI World Index, Storebrand Global Solutions and Storebrand Global Multifactor have both outperformed their benchmarks, according to the press release. Storebrand Global Solutions beat the MSCI All Country World Index by 1.4%, and Storebrand Global Multifactor beat the MSCI World Index by 1.2%.
“Storebrand has a long history of combining sustainability with innovation and we are delighted to be distributing their successful investment strategies in the Netherlands. In addition to sustainable portfolio solutions, we will continue to offer clients the best possible level of service and communication across our expanded range of complementary products,” added Michiel Krauss, Managing Director of SKAGEN Funds in the Netherlands.
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