Investment

CFSGAM reports on responsible investment, stewardship

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 11 APR 2014  |  NEWS
A high degree of transparency and reporting is "the most important indicator of effective equity investor stewardship," according to more than a third of people who attended the recent Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) Responsible ...

PRI launches guide to private equity and ESG integration

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 11 APR 2014  |  NEWS
The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) have launched a guide covering integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in private equity.

Combining quality measures with ESG can yield higher returns

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 9 APR 2014  |  NEWS
Incorporating a quality factor overlay into a portfolio that integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics can add "significant excess return" to ESG portfolios, according to Northern Trust.

PRI moving ahead with governance review, disclosure regime

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 4 APR 2014  |  NEWS
Fiona Reynolds, managing director of the United Nations-affiliated Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), has said that she would like to see the organisation's governance review process "done and dusted" by the end of 2014.

GRESB launches 2014 survey

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 2 APR 2014  |  NEWS
The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) has launched is 2014 survey, its fifth year of operation.

SVA suggests reform for social enterprise capital funding

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 2 APR 2014  |  NEWS
Social Ventures Australia (SVA) has suggested establishing a dedicated social 'investment bank' as one means of increasing access to capital for social sector enterprises.

ESG integration into quantitative investment management

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 28 MAR 2014  |  NEWS
There is a growing use of environmental and social factors as part of quantitative investment techniques in equity portfolios, with fund managers integrating ESG data to either screen out undesired stocks, or to create customised benchmarks that tilt ...

CEFC to provide $100m financing through Balmain Corporation

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 28 MAR 2014  |  NEWS
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is partnering with non-bank commercial loan manager Balmain Corporation to provide up to AU$100 million of debt finance to retrofit commercial properties.

Ethical Investment Advisers launches fossil-fuel free SMA

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 26 MAR 2014  |  NEWS
Brisbane-based financial planners Ethical Investment Advisers has launched a separately managed account (SMA) based on Australian equities that are screened to eliminate fossil fuel exposures.

PRI finds limited disclosure of fracking activity, impacts

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 26 MAR 2014  |  NEWS
Oil and gas producing and servicing companies provide "very limited" disclosure around risks and impacts of their hydraulic fracturing (fracking) activity, according to research commissioned by the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).