The wind of change for equity investors

Over the past decade, ESG has moved from the periphery to the mainstream, with investors launching funds and strategies branded a ‘Green’, ‘Sustainable’ or ‘ESG-focused’. Investor enthusiasm peaked in 2021 and 2022, driving valuations of companies tied to the green transition to record highs. Luc Plouvier, senior portfolio manager for our Global Dividend strategy explains that the tide has turned.

Recent quarters have seen a marked shift from inflows to outflows in ESG-related investment funds, which is a clear signal that popularity is waning. Some of the former ESG-darlings have struggled to meet lofty expectations,
facing project delays, capital shortfalls, and disappointing returns. The ESG pendulum has swung from exuberance to growing skepticism. In this edition of ‘Market Musings’, we would like to highlight our approach towards ESG.
We expect that this approach will continue to add value to the portfolio.