Showing 1 to 19 of 19 results.
We aim to contribute to a sustainable economy and society by improving our environmental, social and governance standards. We aim to hold our own business to the same standards that we expect of the companies we invest our clients’ capital in. By doing so, we reinforce our position as responsible investors.
We believe that organisations have legal, moral and commercial obligations to respect human rights and remediate any implications on human rights in their operations and supply chains.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable culture where diversity can thrive. We believe this will deliver better outcomes for our people, our clients and society, and it is the right thing to do.
We know we need to pivot our approach if we are to minimise the environmental impacts of our business operations, no matter where our offices are based. In March 2022, we announced a firm-wide target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our business operations in line with a target of net zero emissions by 2030 (or sooner).
Making a difference to the communities where we live, work and invest through philanthropy has been a focus for our business for over a decade. This is also an important part of our corporate value of ‘care’ to societies in which we operate. The First Sentier Foundation is our philanthropic initiative, founded in 2012 and dedicated to building sustainable lives through education.
A decade of experience in responsible investment has taught us that individuals and the wider industry’s views on sustainability/ESG are constantly evolving.
This letter forms the first in a series designed to introduce and explain our approach to sustainability, and the lessons learned so far. We hope that these reflections, drawing on the team’s combined experience, will provide a useful insight.
We believe financial markets, critical to society’s ability to function, are under threat. For too long, it has been widely accepted that short-term performance, growth, risks and financial returns should be maximised at the expense of environmental and social outcomes.
Many listed infrastructure companies provide customers with cleaner and greener services than the alternatives. This paper looks at how US-listed railroads, electric and water utilities are reducing carbon emissions, improving safety and increasing customer satisfaction. We believe these sustainability benefits are going to be valued more highly in the future by customers, regulators, politicians and investors.
American Listed Infrastructure (ALI) has seen a significant increase in Merger and Acquisition (M&A) activity. Private market and foreign corporate buyers are paying premiums of 25% to listed markets, often for non-controlling stakes. This M&A illustrates the intrinsic value available to investors in the ALI asset class. We expect M&A will continue for a number of years. This will deleverage balance sheets, reduce equity needs and recycle capital from non-core to core activities, thereby raising the quality of the ALI asset class.
This paper outlines the responsible investing approach adopted by various First Sentier Investors investment teams across the globe. It involves a holistic way of thinking that addresses multiple impacts across multiple environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures. We believe it can lead to better long‑term financial and sustainability outcomes, across more measures, than more traditional frameworks.
We recently spent several weeks in the US visiting listed infrastructure management teams, regulators, politicians, industry associations and conducting asset tours. The following paper provides an overview of our findings.
We crossed six US states meeting over 70 infrastructure management teams as well as customers and suppliers at three conferences. We visited three corporate head offices, several regulators and toured the country’s largest nuclear power plant.
2024 was a year marked by global inflation and economic growth concerns against a backdrop of worldwide elections. As we head into 2025, volatility will remain an enduring constant.
First Sentier Investors is a global fund manager with experience across a range of asset classes and specialist investment sectors. We are stewards of assets managed on behalf of institutional investors, pension funds, wholesale distributors, investment platforms, financial advisers and their clients worldwide.
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party, arguably the most important and widely anticipated event in China’s political diary, took place in mid-October.
After decades of flat electricity demand for US utilities, the industry is now seeing unprecedented demand as growth in data centers / AI, electrification, onshoring and electric vehicles outweighs energy efficiency gains. One utility executive stated: “Seeing all these customers wanting 24/7 load and willing to pay for it – it is every utility’s dream”.
As stewards of our clients’ assets, we have a duty to manage a wide range of risks on their behalf.
This is the third investor letter for the FSSA Global Emerging Markets Focus Strategy since its launch in November 2017. In this letter, we will discuss our investment approach, process, strategy, positioning, and other matters we think are relevant to investors. As always, should you have any questions or feedback, we would appreciate hearing from you.
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