Sustainable Real Return

Strategy highlights

: Environmental, social and governance (ESG) analysis looks beyond the financial statements

Investing in issuers that positively manage the material impacts of their operations and products on the environment and society, while actively omitting those involved in areas of high social cost, environmental degradation or violators of the UN Global Compact Principles

Seeks to achieve its objective with reduced volatility through security selection, asset-type flexibility and an emphasis on capital preservation

Our philosophy and process

: Harnessing Newton’s global analysis resources, the strategy adheres to our investment framework focused on fundamentals, themes, valuations and ESG considerations.

We focus on innovative companies and dynamic management teams that provide solutions and benefit from growth opportunities. Active corporate engagement and proxy voting provide powerful feedback loops that make us more informed shareholders who promote positive corporate development.

The strategy is conviction-based, with no regional, sector or performance reference constraints. It has a simple structure, with a stable core of predominantly traditional return-seeking assets, and a layer of risk-offsetting positions which aim to dampen volatility and preserve capital.

Our sustainable ‘red lines’ are built on a combination of exclusions that effectively avoid investments in security issuers involved in or that generate a material proportion of revenues from areas of activity that we deem to be harmful from a social and/or environmental perspective.

Every time we consider a security or look at an industry or country, it’s in the context of what’s happening across the world. We believe the investment landscape is shaped over the long term by some key trends, and we use themes to help identify opportunities.

Investment team

Our Sustainable Real Return strategy is managed by an experienced team with a wide range of backgrounds. In-house research analysts are at the core of our investment process, and our multidimensional research platform spans fundamental, thematic, ESG, quantitative, geopolitical, investigative and private-market research to promote better-informed investment decisions.

18: years’ average investment experience
12: years’ average time at Newton

Philip Shucksmith

Portfolio manager, Real Return team
Matthew Brown

Portfolio manager, Real Return team
Andy Warwick

Co-head of Real Return team
Aron Pataki

Co-head of Real Return team
Lars Middleton

Portfolio manager, Real Return team
Brendan Mulhern

Global strategist, Real Return team
Aaron Sinadjan

Portfolio analyst, Real Return team
Catherine Doyle

Investment specialist
Chris King

Senior portfolio analyst, Real Return team

Strategy profile

Objective: The strategy seeks to deliver a total return of SONIA (30-day compounded) +4% per annum over rolling 5-year periods, from a globally diversified portfolio of securities that demonstrate attractive investment attributes and sustainable business practices. In doing so, the strategy aims to achieve a positive return on a rolling 3-year basis. However, a positive return is not guaranteed and a capital loss may occur.
Performance benchmark: SONIA (30-day compounded) +4%*
Volatility: Expected to be between that of bonds and equities over the long term
Strategy size: A$1.2bn (as at 30 June 2023)
Strategy inception: Composite inception: 1 May 2018

*Please note that on 1 October 2021, the performance benchmark for this strategy changed from 1-month GBP LIBOR +4% to SONIA (30-day compounded) +4%.

Your capital may be at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the original amount invested.

Newton will make investment decisions that are not based solely on ESG considerations. Other attributes of an investment may outweigh ESG considerations when making investment decisions. The way that ESG and sustainability considerations are assessed and the assessment of their suitability for Newton’s sustainable strategies may vary depending on the asset class and strategy involved. For Newton’s sustainable strategies, ESG reviews are performed prior to investment for corporate investments (single name equity and fixed income securities). The analysis will then also follow the Newton sustainable investment process to ensure it fits with the wider Newton sustainable investment philosophy.

Key investment risks

: Performance aim risk: The performance aim is not a guarantee, may not be achieved and a capital loss may occur. Strategies which have a higher performance aim generally take more risk to achieve this and so have a greater potential for returns to vary significantly.

Currency risk: This strategy invests in international markets which means it is exposed to changes in currency rates which could affect the value of the strategy.

Derivatives risk: Derivatives are highly sensitive to changes in the value of the asset from which their value is derived. A small movement in the value of the underlying asset can cause a large movement in the value of the derivative. This can increase the sizes of losses and gains, causing the value of your investment to fluctuate. When using derivatives, the strategy can lose significantly more than the amount it has invested in derivatives.

Changes in interest rates & inflation risk: Investments in bonds/money market securities are affected by interest rates and inflation trends which may negatively affect the value of the strategy.

Credit ratings and unrated securities risk: Bonds with a low credit rating or unrated bonds have a greater risk of default. These investments may negatively affect the value of the strategy.

Credit risk: The issuer of a security held by the strategy may not pay income or repay capital to the strategy when due.

Emerging markets risk: Emerging Markets have additional risks due to less-developed market practices.

Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and/or the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect (‘Stock Connect’) risk: The strategy may invest in China A shares through Stock Connect programmes. These may be subject to regulatory changes and quota limitations. An operational constraint such as a suspension in trading could negatively affect the strategy’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

CoCos risk: Contingent convertible securities (CoCos) convert from debt to equity when the issuer’s capital drops below a pre-defined level. This may result in the security converting into equities at a discounted share price, the value of the security being written down, temporarily or permanently, and/or coupon payments ceasing or being deferred.

Sustainable strategies risk: The strategy follows a sustainable investment approach, which may cause it to perform differently than strategies that have a similar objective but which do not integrate sustainable investment criteria when selecting securities. The strategy will not engage in stock lending activities and, therefore, may forego any additional returns that may be produced through such activities.

Investment in infrastructure companies risk: The value of investments in infrastructure companies may be negatively impacted by changes in the regulatory, economic or political environment in which they operate.

Counterparty risk: The insolvency of any institutions providing services such as custody of assets or acting as a counterparty to derivatives or other contractual arrangements, may expose the strategy to financial loss.