GIB Asset Management, a UK firm and a trading name of Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited, has launched a sustainable corporate bond fund, saying it will select companies to invest in based on their ability to help solve ESG challenges.
The GIB AM Sustainable World Corporate Bond Fund is an Article 9 fund under the EU’s sustainability fund rules.
Katherine Garrett-Cox, CEO, said there are “few existing options” for investors who want to access global fixed-income markets in a way that “taps into the financial opportunities presented by challenges such as healthy nutrition, connectivity, clean energy and inclusive growth. “
The fund will be managed by Samantha Lamb, head of fixed income. Pascal Nocoli, senior portfolio manager, Thomas Hanse, credit analyst and portfolio manager, and Gustav Owen, credit analyst, will also oversee the fund.
The Article 9 fund is GIB AM’s first fixed-income fund and follows a similar strategy to the asset manager’s Sustainable World Corporate Bond strategy. The fund is benchmarked against the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Investment Grade Corporate including High Yield and EM Custom Index. The US dollar-hedged index comprises 60% global investment grade bonds, 20% global high yield, and 20% emerging market corporate indices.
Lamb said: “We have built a team with diverse backgrounds and expertise within fixed income, but who each share the common goal of delivering returns for our clients while supporting a sustainable future for people and the planet.
“We have also built an investment approach from scratch to help support businesses solving the world’s biggest challenges while ensuring we invest in some of the most compelling credits from a long-term perspective.”
The fund would “support those companies that are making a difference”, she added, and the firm said that the strategy can deliver returns above the benchmark across the market cycle.
The fund will be available for institutional investors in Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.
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