Morley Fund Management has been ranked the number one fund manager for its understanding of Socially Responsible Investing and Extra-Financial Issues in the latest Thomson Extel SRI and Extra-Financial Survey released last week.
Morley Fund Management has been ranked the number one fund manager for its understanding of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Extra-Financial Issues in the latest Thomson Extel SRI and Extra-Financial Survey released last week.
Thomson, in association with UKSIF (the UK Social Investment Forum), asked buyside and sellside practitioners for their views on SRI trends and developments and on the quality of brokerage services provided to them.
The survey highlighted that while SRI and SRI research continues to grow, investors are frustrated with analysts and brokers who continue to see SRI as a separate discipline.
This attitude is contrary to a trend seen by Morley’s chief investment officer Katherine Garrett-Cox of more institutional investors requiring SRI to be integrated into research and analysis.
“Some institutional investors are asking for universally accepted SRI principles to be used when managing their portfolios. They want us to not only maximise profit but also to ensure the long term sustainability of the portfolio and the companies we invest in.
“They do not want to have excessive reputation risk or financial risk. So we are asked to take into account social and environmental issues when making our investment decisions,” she said.
The survey also highlighted that investors are not just looking to allocate a portion of their investments specifically to SRI funds but are looking more broadly for environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues to be further integrated into mainstream research and other portfolios.
Morley’s SRI analyst Harriet Parker said that ESG issues are important to mainstream investors as they do have a material impact on long term shareholder value.
“We are increasingly using sell-side research houses that produce quality work integrating ESG issues into their research because we believe ESG issues have an impact on stock valuation, business performance and financial value.
“We have also voluntarily signed up to UN Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) which require investors to take an active role in promoting sustainable development,” she said.
The survey took place between March and June this year and covered a total of 124 buyside firms and 16 sellside firms throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
Firms within the Morley group of companies manage Ł155 billion with Ł900 million in SRI assets*.
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*as at 31 May, 2006
For more information contact:
Beth Saint
Corporate Communications
Telephone: 020 7809 8125
Notes to editors:
Morley Fund Management
Morley Fund Management Limited is the UK-based asset management business of Aviva plc. Firms within the Morley group of companies manage Ł155bn from offices around the world as at 31 May 2006.
Morley manages both institutional and retail funds under the Morley brand. It also acts as investment manager for a range of retail investment funds, marketed in the UK under the Norwich Union brand, and international funds marketed under the Aviva Funds brand.
Awards
- Property Fund Manager of the Year, Pensions Management Awards 2006
- Best Commitment to Raising Standards of Trustee Education, Engaged Investor Awards 2006
- Property Fund Manager of the Year, Property Week Awards 2006
- SRI Provider of the Year, Global Pensions 2006
- Central European Property Awards 2005 - Outstanding Company of the Year & Investor of the Year
- UK Pensions Awards 2005 – Property Manager of the Year
- Property Week Awards 2004 – Best Property Fund Manager
- Pensions Management Provider Awards 2003 – Best Property Fund Manager
- Fund Manager of the Year - Pensions Week Awards 2002
- Specialist Manager of the Year - UK Pensions Awards 2002
Further information about Morley Fund Management can be found at www.morleyfm.com