Grace Su

Global equity manager, ClearBridge Investments,^[1] has recently launched the ClearBridge Global Value Improvers Fund to Australian investors.

This Fund provides exposure to companies considered by ClearBridge to be undervalued and those that are improving on certain ClearBridge ESG measures,^[2] either through transforming their own products and services or enabling other entities to advance ESG objectives.

“We are focused on companies that we believe are committed to change. We think there’s a lot of opportunity in companies the market doesn’t classify as ESG friendly or which have not had their success in incremental ESG achievement recognised,” said ClearBridge Portfolio Manager, Grace Su.

“We are delighted to launch this Fund to Australian investors, offering them the opportunity to invest in a Strategy with the complementary combination of global value investing and a forward-looking approach to ESG improvement. We believe this approach provides advantages against value’s more cyclical nature and creates a disciplined framework for a concentrated, high-alpha generating portfolio,” said Matt Bushby, Head of APAC Business Development at ClearBridge Investments.

Su noted that the Strategy invests in 30 to 40 securities across developed and emerging markets and focuses on three main areas of improvers: Enablers, Reformers, and Promoters.

Enablers are companies that help their customers or industries, achieve ESG goals. Typically, these are companies whose products enable greater energy efficiency and lower natural resource use.

“Reformers are your former bad actors with a willingness and a plan to transition. For example, these could be energy companies that are on a path to adopting renewables, or traditional car companies transitioning from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles,” Su explained.

The third category, Promoters, include companies whose products or services have a direct impact on furthering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“Healthcare companies that improve outcomes, increase access to care and democratise healthcare are good examples of Promoters, as are financial companies that use their loan books to advance sustainable finance,” Su said.

“In recent months, political risk and policy uncertainty have become increasing overhangs on equity markets and we expect this to continue. Overall, periods of heightened volatility remind us of the importance of portfolio diversification and the benefit of having longer term investment themes, such as energy transition and governance reform, which are less tied to the economic cycle and thus lend stability during extreme market movements,” Su noted.

The ClearBridge Global Value Improvers Fund follows the launch of the ClearBridge Global Growth Fund, which was introduced to Australian investors earlier this year.

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Notes:
[1] “ClearBridge Investments” refers to ClearBridge Investments Limited (AFSL 307727) and its subsidiary, its Authorised Representative ClearBridge Investments, LLC. (as well as parts of Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. in Canada), who are operationally integrated under the global brand, ClearBridge Investments.
[2] The Fund may hold investments where ESG factors are not considered. Taking all factors relevant to the overall investment thesis into account, including non-ESG factors, a security with a relatively lower ESG rating may be acquired and retained, and, conversely, a security with a relatively higher ESG rating may be neither acquired nor retained, where ClearBridge believes this is consistent with the overall investment objective and strategy of the Fund.

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