WHEB's Sustainability Fund has been re-assessed through our impact methodology. Read our summary on how it performed and why it has Gold!
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Every year The Big Exchange re-assess funds for their positive impact on people and the planet. The fund manager has to prove that the fund is continuing to walk the talk. We regularly update our assessment and will award new medal ratings for every fund. Every fund re-assessment gets an update for you to find out more.
We’re pleased to let you know that WHEB's fund has passed its annual reassessment, retaining its gold medal. We think this is well deserved in view of the clear commitment to delivering a measurable impact on people and planet that WHEB continue to demonstrate.
WHEB is one of the few specialist boutique firms completely dedicated to positive impact and their investment team is well respected for its experience and innovation in developing this style of investing.
The firm operates as an owner managed partnership, meaning the team have a stake in the success in the business and are motivated to take a long-term view. This structure is designed to benefit all stakeholders in the business, whether they be employees, investors, community, or shareholders.
The firm has a single strategy, which is focused on companies that make a positive impact. This has been developed over time and tested through economic and market cycles. The managers believe businesses whose products and services help solve challenges facing the world today present attractive investment opportunities as we transition to a healthier, low carbon and more sustainable global economy.
WHEB Asset Management is a Certified B Corporation, meaning it has verified high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability1.
The fund aims to grow your money over the medium to longer term by investing in global equities (shares). The investment team seeks high-quality businesses from nine broad sustainable investment themes with strong growth characteristics. They consider it important to develop close relationships with company management to support the best environmental, social, and economic outcomes.
The investment strategy focuses on sustainability, growth, quality, and valuation. There are five environmental (cleaner energy, environmental services, resource efficiency, sustainable transport, and water management), and four social themes (education, health, safety, and well-being).
The aim is to add value through expert understanding of the sustainability themes, new technologies and business models. Individual stock selection is based on superior insights into companies through a rigorous stock-by-stock research process. The managers carefully track how holdings align with the sustainability themes.
The impact calculator tools that are available on their website help bring the outcomes of the investment selections to life. For example, an impact calculator allows investors to see, in pounds and pence terms, the impact their money is making. 2
The fund currently has 43 holdings with 62% of the portfolio invested in the US, 19% in Europe and 9% in Japan. It breaks down its industry exposure by themes rather than traditional market sectors and the biggest exposures are 26% invested in resource efficiency, 23% in health and 11% in sustainable transport. 3
The funds maps most closely to SDG 3 (Good Health & Wellbeing) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). These represent 26%, 13% and 16% of the portfolio respectively. 4
The team promotes best practice in investee companies and an independent advisory committee provides oversight and challenges the managers. We found clear evidence that WHEB actively engage with investee companies and encourage them to adopt better ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) practices and sustainability targets. WHEB also collaborate with fellow investors where appropriate, for example as a member of the Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance. The fund therefore scores 3 out of 3 for positive influence.
The maximum score is also given for transparency since reporting is exemplary and there are full descriptions of all holdings, an annual impact report, an engagement report with voting explanations, and clear documentation of the strategy.
We are impressed by the very high proportion of positive solutions from the holdings in the portfolio, which we estimate to be 96%, and believe this justifies the high gold medal awarded.
This is where we take a company that the fund invests in and tell you more about what it does to show you how your money can count for more.
Intertek provides testing, inspection, and certification services to industries around the world and plays an important role in assuring and certifying product safety. The largest business is safety testing of consumer products including clothes, electronic products, food, and drinks. They have a new suite of sustainability advisory services which improves their ESG credentials. Intertek offers quality, safety, performance, and regulatory testing to renewable energy companies in over 100 countries and is developing a greenhouse gas, environmental and health and safety consulting business. Intertek indirectly supports several of the Sustainability Development Goals.
To learn more and read the full fund details, please take a look at our fund list. When investing, capital is at risk.
2 https://impact.whebgroup.com/
3 Fund factsheet 28 February 2022
4 TBE Impact Assessment February 2022.
Please remember that when investing, making money is not guaranteed and your capital is at risk. The value of your fund can go down as well as up. Tax treatment depends on an individual’s circumstances and may be subject to change.
The Big Exchange (TBF) Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Big Exchange Limited. The Big Exchange (TBF) Limited is an Appointed Representative of Resolution Compliance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 574048).
