Sustainable Investing Partners win Award
6 April 2022
GUIDE FINANCIAL’s SUSTAINABLE INVESTING PARTNERS WIN INAUGURAL AUSTRALIAN AWARD.
Stewart Investors, one of three sustainable investing partners managing our Ethical Sustainable Growth Fund, has won the inaugural Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year award for Sustainable Investing.
Established 35 years ago, Morningstar is a global investment research firm, headquartered in Chicago, USA, with an Australian head office in Melbourne. The company provides extensive research, tools and insights for financial advisors, asset managers and individual investors. In late 2020 they began integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their analysis of stocks, funds, and asset managers.
Around the same time, The Australian Advice Network, of which Guide Financial is one of four member companies, launched our Ethical Sustainable Growth Fund, after 12 months of research, settling on four sustainable investing partners – Australian Ethical, Stewart Investors, Alphinity, and Betashare.
Stewart Investors has been providing sustainable investment opportunities globally for over 30 years, focusing on stewardship and sustainable development as key drivers of long-term investment performance. Their Worldwide Sustainability Strategy (launched 2012) and their Worldwide Leaders Sustainability Strategy (‘leaders’ being companies with a market cap of USD3 billion +) invest in 40-60 high-quality global companies that contribute towards a more sustainable future. This includes how a company affects the ecosystem that they are part of.
The Award
This is the first year Morningstar has honoured Sustainable Investing and we are delighted to see our partner, Stewart Investors, become the first manager to win the award,” said Guide Financial Director and Senior Advisor, Brad Wall.
The award is based on a combination of qualitative research by its manager research analysts; risk-adjusted returns over medium- to long-term periods; and performance in the 2021 calendar year. To receive the sustainable investing award, a fund manager must have achieved superior results for the Morningstar ESG commitment level assessment (asset manager); a forward-looking qualitative assessment incorporating three key pillars: philosophy and process, resources; and active ownership.
Sustainable Investing Partners Performing Well
Guide Financial clients who have invested in our Ethical Sustainable Growth Fund are benefiting from the funds impressive performance,” said Brad. “We are seeing more clients wanting to include sustainability stocks in their funds, due to personal values alignment and the respectable returns.’
This award highlights the increased interest in environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies by investors, and recognises Stewart Investors Worldwide Sustainability as having a best-in-class team and clear investment approach.
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