Gazing into the jungle of impact investments

A fast-growing number of investment strategies claim to be designed to have an intentional, positive and measurable impact on society and the environment while delivering an attractive risk-adjusted financial return. But what are best practices to measure the non-financial return?

Photo: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

by SØREN RATHLOU TOP

The term "impact investing" was originally coined in 2007, and the number of strategies to pick between grows at a fast pace. The Global Impact Investing Network estimates that the current size of the global market is around USD 502bn.

Tomorrow, AMWatch is a partner at the Nordic Investment Forum, aiming to shed a light on questions, such as:

Impact investing – where is the industry headed?
What type of impact investment products are available?
How to measure the non-financial impact of investments?
Does it make sense to use rating tools to measure impact?
And much more.

Here are some of the articles from AMWatch's archives on impact investing:

Impact investors fail to measure negative outcomes

Philanthropic investor ahead of green impact curve

Former Danske Bank fund selection chief launches Nordic Impact firm

Nuveen discusses impact investing with pension funds in Copenhagen

AP7 hires two managers for green impact active equities

AP1 and BlackRock coinitiates EM Impact Fund

Philanthropic investor in drive to boost green impact of its assets

Hermes says continual innovation gives competitive edge

Novo Nordisk owners launch impact investment fund

BMO GAM: Impact investing may be mere marketing ploy for some

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NAP's investment team, l-r: Laurits Bach Sørensen, Rasmus Lund, Adam Erritzø, Shari Rana, Morten Westh Naldal (seated, left) and Troels Øberg. | Foto: PR

Fund Management

Nordic Alpha Partners reels in international investment giants for second fund

”Getting green technology companies through the growth phase is like sailing a ship through a perfect storm,” says Laurits Bach Sørensen, Senior Partner at Nordic Alpha Partners.

Analysis: Money talks — and that’s a problem for ATP

Invesco seeing increased demand for Fixed income ETFs from Nordic investors

For subscribers

CEO of the Norwegian Securities Funds Association (VFF), Bernt Zakariassen. | Photo: Irene Sandved Lunde / VFF

Fund Management

Norwegians are investing record amounts in funds

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Christian Heiberg, Head of Danske Bank Asset Management | Foto: PR/Danske Bank

Fund Management

World's best EMD team still waiting for clients to return to Danske AM

For subscribers

Jan Erik Saugestad, CEO of Storebrand Asset Management and Kasper Hansen, Managing Partner at AIP. | Foto: PR/Storebrand

Pension

Storeband increases stake in Danish infrastructure manager to become majority owner

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Northvolt is attracting ever more negative headlines. | Foto: Helena Soderpalm/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix

Responsible Investing

Nordic institutional investors still see potential in beleaguered Swedish battery producer

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Fredrik Nilsson is Head of ETF Business Development, Nordic Region at Invesco EMEA. | Foto: PR / Invesco

Fund Management

Invesco seeing increased demand for Fixed income ETFs from Nordic investors

For subscribers

The most dangerous thing you can do around AI investing is to stay on the sidelines, investors say. | Photo: Dado Ruvic/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix

Ignore the ‘AI revolution’ at your own peril, global investors warn

Investors and asset managers remain positive about the benefits of artificial intelligence – despite some concerns about geopolitics and their possible effects on tech giant Nvidia.

For subscribers

Christoffer Malmström and Måns Levin are the founders and portfolio managers of Ridge Capital. | Foto: PR / Ridge Capital

New Nordic high yield manager keeps attracting inflows

So far, Ridge Capital’s Nordic high yield strategy has exceeded the targeted return, founders and portfolio managers Måns Levin and Christoffer Malmström tell AMWatch.

For subscribers

An armored Caterpillar bulldozer patrols the Israel/Gaza border on April 10, 2024. | Foto: Amir Cohen/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix

KLP excludes US construction supplier over Gaza connection

KLP and the KLP funds are excluding the American machinery manufacturer due to the risk of contributing to violations of human rights and international law in the West Bank and Gaza.

For subscribers

Carl Cederberg is the CEO of the pension fund of the Church of Sweden. | Foto: Kyrkans Pension / PR

Swedish FSA fines church pension fund for failing to limit investment risks

Kyrkans Pension broke FSA rules when the pension fund made a major investment in real estate company Stelvalvet, the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority says.

For subscribers

Anders Schelde, CIO, Akademikerpension. | Photo: Akademikerpension

Danish pension fund drops drilling platform investments

Akademikerpension is divesting investments worth DKK 324m (EUR 43.4m) in 30 drilling companies. Until now, the pension fund had been unaware of the involvement of these companies in fossil expansion.

For subscribers

Pia Michaelsson has been head of Nordics for American Century since 2018. | Foto: Private photo

Expansion of Nordic team has paid off: Inflows to all core products for US manager

American Century’s Pia Michelsson tells AMWatch that impact investing in the Nordic region is ”next level” in this first article of our 2024 Summer Series featuring international asset managers.

For subscribers

World's best EMD team still waiting for clients to return to Danske AM

The Head of Danske Bank Asset Management, Christian Heiberg, had expected more new mandates by now for its EMD strategy, which has shown world-class performance since a new team took over.

For subscribers

Fund Management

Invesco seeing increased demand for Fixed income ETFs from Nordic investors

The US investment management giant has expanded its range of fixed-income ETFs by launching five EUR-denominated corporate bond funds.

For subscribers

Pension

Storeband increases stake in Danish infrastructure manager to become majority owner

The owners of infrastructure fund manager AIP Management have sold the majority of their shares to Storebrand, one of Norway’s largest financial groups.

For subscribers

Responsible Investing

Nordic institutional investors still see potential in beleaguered Swedish battery producer

Northvolt, the Swedish manufacturer of sustainable batteries for electric vehicles, is facing a mountain of problems as the market for its products appears to be saturated.

For subscribers

Fund Management

New Nordic high yield manager keeps attracting inflows

So far, Ridge Capital’s Nordic high yield strategy has exceeded the targeted return, founders and portfolio managers Måns Levin and Christoffer Malmström tell AMWatch.

For subscribers

Fund Management

Expansion of Nordic team has paid off: Inflows to all core products for US manager

For subscribers

Gazing into the jungle of impact investments

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Front page now

Nordic Alpha Partners reels in international investment giants for second fund

Norwegians are investing record amounts in funds

World's best EMD team still waiting for clients to return to Danske AM

Storeband increases stake in Danish infrastructure manager to become majority owner

Nordic institutional investors still see potential in beleaguered Swedish battery producer

Invesco seeing increased demand for Fixed income ETFs from Nordic investors

Ignore the ‘AI revolution’ at your own peril, global investors warn

New Nordic high yield manager keeps attracting inflows

KLP excludes US construction supplier over Gaza connection

Swedish FSA fines church pension fund for failing to limit investment risks

Danish pension fund drops drilling platform investments

Expansion of Nordic team has paid off: Inflows to all core products for US manager

Further reading

World's best EMD team still waiting for clients to return to Danske AM

Invesco seeing increased demand for Fixed income ETFs from Nordic investors

Storeband increases stake in Danish infrastructure manager to become majority owner

Nordic institutional investors still see potential in beleaguered Swedish battery producer

New Nordic high yield manager keeps attracting inflows

Expansion of Nordic team has paid off: Inflows to all core products for US manager