Columbia Threadneedle acquires BMO asset business to strengthen EU position
The US-British asset manager Columbia Threadneedle thinks it can significantly strengthen its position in Europe after acquiring the EMEA asset management business of Canadian firm BMO Financial Group. It provides more scale, especially in Europe and it provides many complementary strategies and products.
Impact investing taking over from ESG
Despite much debate in the market about the hows and whys of ESG integration, impact investing is steadily making its way into the financial mainstream. In 2021, the first year in two decades in which extreme poverty once again rose, with lasting consequences for the world’s most vulnerable people in particular, the financial industry once again demonstrated the importance of real, tangible impact.
‘ESG exclusion policy difficult to implement at fund level’
More than a year after NN IP saw half of its emerging market debt (EMD) team leave due to a conflict around the firm’s ESG strategy, the team is back at full strength. ESG integration has been the main priority of NN IP’s new head of EMD Marcin Adamczyk.
Investors flock to outperforming ESG funds
Whereas European equity funds suffered substantial outflows during the coronavirus crisis, their ESG counterparts held up much better. Moreover, the assets under management are now higher than at the start of the year. This is partly due to the arrival of investors who had never thought of ESG investing before, says Michael Lewis of asset manager DWS.