KBI Global Investors has launched two responsible investing strategies to tap into the long-term opportunities arising from sustainability, resource efficiency, and the transition to a lower-carbon economy.
The Dublin-based firm’s focus on long-term secular trends has prompted the launch of the Global Core Sustainable Strategy and the Global Health & Wellbeing Strategy.
The Global Core Sustainability fund is an Article 9 strategy that will hold 100-150 stocks on the basis most A9 strategies are overly concentrated.
Taking a systematic investment approach, the KBIGI global equity team targets highly transparent alignment to climate goals and the SDGs while maintaining low tracking error, core style exposure, high active share and industry (ex-energy) neutrality compared to the MSCI ACWI, with 80% of active risk derived from stock.
KBIGI CEO Geoff Blake said: “The Article 9 category has been poorly serviced, so it has been a real conundrum for investors these past years, trying to identify an investment solution which delivers a high exposure to sustainability – excluding stocks with poor credentials – and a well-diversified portfolio.
“Heightened volatility led many investors to divest; others simply haven’t been able to find an A9 solution delivering on their impact requirements, and which reduces performance dispersion – a key objective for investors.”
The Global Health & Wellbeing Strategy has launched in response to strong investor interest, KBIGI said, and invests across the spectrum of medical, safety and wellness services.
KBIGI is looking to benefit from an aging population, increased affluence, emerging technologies, Gen Z preferences for healthier living, spending on safety, security and remediation, and low relative valuations.
The strategy will be managed by Craig Bonthron, who returned to KBIGI as a senior portfolio manager at the end of 2024.
