ESG & Sustainable Investing

Fixed income investors are in "pole position to push for change" when it comes to ESG

We have a high opinion of Kensington as a mortgage lender and when we score it for ESG as part of our investment analysis it performs very well even without this latest Green initiative, but we do feel it can stretch further.

The inexorable growth of sustainable investing during the last decade is likely to continue without interruption given the experience of COVID-19 has only intensified investor and regulatory focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues globally.

TwentyFour Asset Management launched its first sustainable fund in January 2020 and I would like to share some of the lessons we have learned from our first year of sustainable bond investing.

In TwentyFour's Vontobel Fund - Short Term Bond Income update on Tuesday 11th May 2021, Partner and Portfolio Manager, Chris Bowie provided an update on investment themes and positioning for Vontobel Fund - TwentyFour Sustainable Short Term Bond Income.

As long as coal usage is not illegal, a private buyer of any origin will be able to purchase these assets cheaper and run them for as long as possible with no regard for ESG matters.

Tobacco company bond spreads were volatile last week on news that the Biden administration is exploring a ban on menthol cigarettes and may pursue a policy to reduce nicotine levels in all cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. Rumours about an increased tobacco tax also surfaced, further shaking up the industry.

ESG conscious investors, ourselves included, of course, are applauding this brave decision by Barclays to put their conscience before profit, but they are not the first to do so.

TwentyFour Asset Management partner and portfolio manager, Chris Bowie, looks at the specific challenges faced by investors wanting to invest sustainably in the bond markets and considers two controversial examples in Tesla and Coca-Cola.

There are many other aspects of SFDR to discuss and we expect the market to take some time to fully adjust.

In terms of execution, it is difficult to assess any ‘ESG premium’ in Brass 10 given the overall strong demand, and in our view it’s still early to weigh the importance of a ‘social’ label for ABS investors.

For most investors this deal would likely be considered a liquidity position, and at a spread of 15bp this is certainly not the sexiest proposition the European ABS market has to offer, but what is interesting about this latest instalment from the STORM platform is what makes the deal ‘Green’.