Summary
This Sub-Fund aims at benefiting from the convex nature of global convertible bonds to capture more of the equities’ upside than downside with lower volatility, thus enhancing the risk / return profile of an equity portfolio, with a maximum equity sensitivity of 70% at Sub-Fund’s portfolio level.
In addition to financial performance, it promotes environmental or social characteristics but does not have as its objective sustainable investment. It aims to obtain:
• a weighted average Industry-Adjusted ESG score higher than that of the Refinitiv Europe Hedged Convertible Bond Index (EUR)
• a lower carbon footprint (as measured by the weighted average carbon intensity).
The index is a standard reference representing the Sub-Fund’s universe but is not aligned with the environmental and social characteristics promoted by this Sub-Fund.
To achieve the environmental and social objectives promoted by this Sub-Fund, the investment process includes:
· negative screening (exclusion criteria) in line with UBP's exclusions for Article 8 funds as described in UBP’s Responsible Investment Policy
· ESG integration based on internal or external qualitative analysis. The Investment Manager’s internal ESG scoring methodology is based on the equal assessment of 4 pillars: Climate Risk, Environmental Strategy, Social Capital and Governance
· portfolio construction aiming at an overall portfolio’s ESG quality profile better than that of the index and a lower carbon footprint than that of the latter.
The Investment Manager takes the quality of governance into consideration in its assessment, including accounting practices and the quality of the financial data disclosed, the composition of the board of directors, the independence of the chairman and the board of directors, the shareholding structure, dispersed ownership of shares, as well as remuneration policies.
A minimum of 80% of the Sub-Fund’s net assets is subject to an extra-financial analysis carried out internally or externally.
The Investment Manager takes into consideration and seeks to minimize the following potential principal adverse impacts of its investments: 1) GHG Intensity of Investee Companies, 2) Violations of UN Global Compact principles and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 3) Board Gender Diversity and 4) Exposure to Controversial Weapons.
The binding criteria used to attain each of the environmental and/or social characteristics promoted by the financial product are integrated in control systems, to ensure pre- and post-trade checks. Compliance is monitored by the Risk department on an ongoing basis.
The Investment Manager may use data reported directly by issuers or sourced from third-party data providers such as MSCI ESG Research or Sustainalytics. UBP reviews regularly the service and data quality provided by third-party ESG data providers.
Depending on the metric considered, some data may be estimated by data providers. Although the Investment Manager applies a thorough selection process of third-party providers, their processes and proprietary ESG methodology may be flawed. As a result, there is a risk of incorrectly assessing an issuer, resulting in an inappropriate capture of ESG risks and potential incorrect inclusion or exclusion in the product. We expect these limitations to have limited impact on the overall environmental and/or social characteristics promoted by the product.
The investment due diligence process ensures that the investment decisions comply with the objectives of the fund as well as the investment strategy. The consideration of sustainability related risks is integrated into the investment decision-making process to ensure better-informed investment decisions as well as awareness of the risk exposure. The first level of due diligence is conducted by investment teams, while the second level is conducted by the Risk department.
Collaborative engagement with investee companies may occur.
No reference benchmark has been designated for the purpose of attaining the environmental or social characteristics promoted by this Sub-Fund.
For more information, please see the fund’s Sustainability-related disclosures.