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Specialist in Asia Pacific, Japan, China, India and South East Asia and Global Emerging Market equities.
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At Stewart Investors, we believe in putting people first. Our investment world-view is of a series of partnerships – with each other, with our clients, with the companies we invest in, the people who buy their goods and services, and with the wider society in which we all live and work.
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Leader in systematic equities across market cap weighted indices, smart beta and active quantitative strategies
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Global property securities
- Our funds
- Infrastructure & Real Estate
- Global Property Securities
- Global Property Securities - Responsible Investment
Approach to Responsible Investment
Stewardship and ESG integration
We have implemented sustainability considerations into our investment process. We believe the consideration of ESG issues will lead to better risk/return outcomes, which will ultimately improve long-term returns for investors.
Corporate governance is a particular focus, where board independence as well as respect for shareholder rights is of paramount importance. We also consider any specific sustainability initiatives implemented by a company and the environmental impact of existing assets and developments. A company's history as a good corporate citizen is taken into account, as well as evidence of meaningful contributions it might have made to benefit society more broadly.
Assessment and monitoring
We have developed a tailored ESG framework that is part of our stock review process. When an analyst reviews a property company, an ESG review will also be done. While the primary source of ESG information is company dialogue, the team also utilises Sustainalytics and MSCI Governance Ratings to streamline the sourcing of data and information. Despite sourcing third party research, in-house research remains the most important source of reference when integrating ESG considerations into the investment process.
Integration
ESG issues are assessed using a two-pronged approach. Firstly, ESG considerations are one of the variables in the initial screen that we use to determine our defined investible universe. A low ESG score (in combination with low scores on other factors) can lead to a stock being excluded from our investment universe.
Secondly, each company in our universe is rated on specific ESG factors. These are used in determining the beta in the capital asset pricing model, which directly impacts our valuation of a stock. The higher the team rates a company's ESG profile, the lower the beta, which leads to a higher target valuation. This outcome would make it more likely that we would invest in the stock.
Engagement
We are firm believers in investor rights and take a proactive stance on ESG issues, especially with regards to corporate governance. Communication with CEOs and board members is undertaken where it is deemed appropriate in order to try and influence and enforce change.
Case studies
We believe that a strong commitment to stewardship is an essential component of a strong approach to responsible investment (RI), and that embedding RI into the core of our investment activities is in the best long-term interests of our clients. For more than a decade we have systematically and progressively improved our practices and processes across our investment capabilities globally.
Climate change
The section below provides addition, team specific, information on climate change. Further information on our approach to climate change can be found in our climate change statement.
Team Climate Change Statement
Our investment process prioritises the protection of our clients’ capital. We focus rigorously on investigating downside risks to each company. In considering downside risks we need to be aware that issues such as climate change can impact stocks in the near, medium and longer term. The nature of property assets is inherently long term (although the price at which securities trade can have the volatility of the equity market). Climate change is a very important issue for a long duration asset. We discuss how each company prioritises potential impacts of climate change and how they plan to cope with the changing face of regulation and consumer demand.
Carbon footprint
For more information, see our Carbon Footprint explainer
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Proxy voting
Proxy voting history by type of resolution
The table below contains the proxy voting history for the team by issue type. The chart provides the same information for FY2019.
Voting Independence
The chart below shows the number of times the team has voted against management recommendations, proxy advisors' recommendations, or against both. The purpose of this table is to show the independent judgement which is applied by the team when making voting decisions.
Proxy voting by region
The chart below shows the number of times the team has voted in each region and the percentage of votes against management and our proxy advisors' recommendations, or against both. The purpose of this table is to show the regional difference in voting patterns and governance concerns.
Proxy voting information is as at 31/12/2019
Source: First Sentier Investors / CGI Glass Lewis
More information
View First Sentier Investors proxy voting record and statistics
Responsible Investment
For over a decade, responsible investment has been integrated into every investment process.
On 16 September 2019, Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) rebranded to First Sentier Investors. Any content produced prior to this date that references CFSGAM or Colonial First State Asset Management (Australia) Limited should be read as references to First Sentier Investors or First Sentier Investors (Australia) IM Ltd.
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Total returns for the Funds have been calculated using exit prices after taking into account all ongoing fees and assuming reinvestment of distributions. No allowance has been made for taxation. Past performance is no indication of future performance.
The target market determination (TMD) for any fund mentioned on this website is available HERE and should be considered by clients or prospective investors prior to making a decision to invest to ensure that they form part of the relevant target market.
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