Investment

UCA Funds Management adds Transfield Services to exclusions

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 1 AUG 2014  |  NEWS
UCA Funds Management is adding Transfield Services to its exclusion list because of human rights concerns stemming from Transfields' contract to provide services at the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection offshore processing centres ...

Ethinvest model portfolios continue to outperform

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 30 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
Proprietary model ASX50 and ASX100 portfolios developed by investment advisory firm Ethinvest outperformed mainstream indices by wide margins over the past one and two year periods, according to the firm.

PRI to target water risk in agricultural supply chains

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 30 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has opened a new initiative and will focus on engaging with 54 companies around the world that have water risk exposure in their agricultural supply chain.

Oncologist leads drive for tobacco stock divestment

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 25 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
Since 2011, 16 superannuation funds have divested from AU$1.2 billion in tobacco stocks, and one Melbourne oncologist has made it her cause to persuade the superannuation industry to divest from the rest of what she estimates is a total of AU$8.5 billion ...

RIAA: Increased public demand for responsible investments

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 25 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
Public demand for responsible investments is beginning to rise for the first time in a decade, according to the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA).

JANA: Majority of fixed income managers consider ESG

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 23 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
A majority of global fixed income managers say they consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their investment process, according to a survey by JANA.

CEFC, CFSGAM to establish clean energy infrastructure fund

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 23 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and the direct infrastructure division Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) will establish the country's first unlisted clean energy direct infrastructure fund.

Mercer research surveys governance at superannuation funds

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 23 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
More than half of superannuation funds participating in a recent Mercer survey have reported that they do not currently have independent directors on their trustee boards.

Financial System Inquiry addresses impact investment market

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 18 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
The Financial System Inquiry interim report released this week addressed a myriad of topics that fall under inquiry's mission statement of laying out a blueprint for the next decade. Amid the four hundred-plus pages of the report is a three-page section ...

Universe of climate-linked bonds expands to US$502.6bn

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 18 JUL 2014  |  NEWS
The total universe of climate-themed bonds is US$502.6 billion and the universe of labelled green bonds is US$38.8 billion, according to the Climate Bond Initiative's 2014 market report.