Schroders Singapore and UOB partner to launch new Sustainable Asian Equity fund in Singapore
In conjunction with the launch, both parties will also pilot the UOB-Schroders Sustainable Investing Master Class under the new SchrodersLearn platform
Schroders Singapore (Schroders) and UOB today announced the launch of the Schroder International Selection Fund Sustainable Asian Equity (the “Fund”) in Singapore. The Fund seeks to generate alpha by investing in companies in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan) which meet Schroders’ sustainability criteria. UOB is currently the exclusive banking partner for the Fund.
The Fund incorporates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations throughout the investment process and implements a bottom-up approach in identifying investment opportunities in three key areas:
- Sustainable companies – companies that manage their stakeholders well and possess superior return on investment capital (ROIC) profiles;
- Sustainable Living companies – companies that create a positive impact on people and planet; and
- Sustainable Transition companies – companies that are taking action and making a positive transition in their stakeholder relationships.
The Luxembourg-domiciled Fund comes in three share classes, which investors can invest with cash, Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) or CPF (Central Provident Fund) savings.
The strategy, which has a strong and consistent track record of outperformance, is supported by an experienced team of over 50 investment professionals covering Asia Pacific excluding Japan and incorporates award-winning Schroders proprietary ESG tools such as SustainEx[1] and Asia CONTEXT[2].
In conjunction with the launch, Schroders has also piloted its SchrodersLearn platform with UOB as the inaugural partner. The platform will house the UOB-Schroders Sustainable Investing Master Class, designed to offer UOB relationship managers (RMs) an agile, curated and engaging learning experience through gamification and modular bite-sized content, and will cover a wide range of ESG-related topics.
The SchrodersLearn platform is part of Schroders’ ESG Education Hub, a key pillar under its regional Centre of Excellence for Sustainability (CoES), first announced in October 2020. Besides training Schroders employees, the Hub plays a critical role in collaboration with clients and partners across the region, to drive larger-scale ESG fluency and upskilling.
Ms Lily Choh, CEO, Schroders Singapore, said:
“With sustainability a key dimension to investing today, it is imperative that we strive to continually develop solutions that not only stay ahead of growing investor demand, but also drive positive impact together with our clients.
We are pleased to partner with UOB to launch the Schroder ISF Sustainable Asian Equity fund, which incorporates our best-in-class Asian equity strategy led by a strong and experienced investment team to deliver alpha through a sustainable lens.
The pilot of our SchrodersLearn platform with UOB further affirms our CoES’ objectives to bolster skillsets on sustainability for our partners through digital content and learning. We look forward to developing new capabilities to ensure relevancy, as we navigate the rapidly evolving world of ESG.”
Ms Jacquelyn Tan, Head of Group Personal Financial Services, UOB, said:
“Sustainable investments in the region have been gaining pace as investors are increasingly concerned about the environmental and social impact of their investments, in addition to achieving financial returns. The UOB ASEAN Consumer Sentiment Study 2021 also showed that consumers in the region recognise that sustainable investing will be more common over the next three to five years.
As we steer our customers towards sustainable investment, we take a Risk-First approach in providing wealth advisory and growing our range of sustainability-driven products to help them achieve their wealth goals for the long-term. The launch of the Schroder ISF Sustainable Asian Equity Fund further broadens our sustainable investment portfolio to meet the rising demand for sustainable investing, giving our customers the choice of different asset classes that suit their financial goals and risk appetite.”
measures the net benefits or harms to society that companies create per USD100 of revenue they produce, expressed as a percentage.
[2] CONTEXT includes a detailed analysis of ESG issues across key stakeholder groups, focused on identifying material issues impacting ROIC over the medium-long term.
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For further information, please contact:
Hilary Espinosa
Hume Brophy (Singapore)
Tel: +65 8814 4903
Email: hilary.espinosa@humebrophy.com
Clarence Chen
Schroder Investment Management (Singapore) Ltd
Tel: +65 6800 7397
Email: clarence.chen@schroders.com
About Schroders
Founded in 1804, Schroders is one of Europe’s largest independent investment management firms by assets under management. As at 31 December 2021, assets under management were £731.6 billion (€871.3 billion; $990.9 billion). The founding family remain a core shareholder, holding approximately 48% of the firm’s voting shares. Schroders has continued to deliver strong financial results. It has a market capitalisation of circa £8 billion and employs over 5,700 people across 37 locations.
Schroders has benefited from the most diverse business model of any UK asset manager by geography, by asset class and by client type. Schroders offers innovative products and solutions across their five business areas of solutions; institutional; mutual funds; private assets & alternatives; and wealth management. Clients include insurance companies, pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and foundations. They also manage assets for end clients as part of their relationships with distributors, financial advisers, and online platforms. Schroders’ Wealth Management offering reflects their strategic ambition to provide wealth management and financial planning services to clients across the wealth spectrum.
Schroders’ strategic aims are to grow their asset management business, build closer relationships with end clients and expand their private assets and alternatives business. Schroders’ purpose is to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. The business channels capital into sustainable and durable businesses to accelerate positive change in the world. Schroders’ business philosophy is based on the belief that if we deliver for clients, we deliver for Shareholders and other stakeholders.
Further information about Schroders can be found at www.schroders.com.
About UOB
United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) is a leading bank in Asia with a global network of around 500 offices in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Since its incorporation in 1935, UOB has grown organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions. UOB is rated among the world’s top banks: Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA- by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings. In Asia, UOB operates through its head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as branches and representative offices across the region.
Over more than eight decades, generations of UOB employees have carried through the entrepreneurial spirit, the focus on long-term value creation and an unwavering commitment to do what is right for our customers and our colleagues.
We believe in being a responsible financial services provider and we are committed to making a difference in the lives of our stakeholders and in the communities in which we operate. Just as we are dedicated to helping our customers manage their finances wisely and to grow their businesses, UOB is steadfast in our support of social development, particularly in the areas of art, children and education.