Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) announced today a new addition to its equity product range with the launch of UBAM - Multifunds Secular Trends.
This is a long-only strategy based on investing in a concentrated portfolio of 10 to 20 high-conviction thematic equity UCITS funds, with exposure to four key trends that are reshaping society and the global economy: climate change, demographics, consumption patterns and disruptive innovation.
This fund of funds takes the view that these trends will continue to thrive as times goes on. The product will be managed by UBP’s multi-management and fund research team.
Didier Chan-Voc-Chun, head of the team, said: “No single organisation has the resources and expertise to outperform consistently in every market, across all trends and thematics. In a world where disruptive innovation is blurring the lines between countries, sectors, and industries, thematic investments are emerging as an ideal tool for UBP’s clients. One of our key attributes is our third-party fund selection team, and open architecture lies at the heart of our solution offering.”
One of the key criteria for manager selection will be alignment of interests and capacity, as well as a consistent track record.
The fund also incorporates environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors that the firm claims offer attractive long-term attributes such as engagement and sustainability.
Commenting on the launch, Nicolas Faller, Co-CEO of asset management at UBP, said: “Innovation requires asset management companies to make courageous decisions, for example, offering and reshaping innovative solutions in the thematic space. This fund underlines UBP’s core values and commitment to responsible investing. As a family-owned, private bank, investing for the future and for upcoming generations is central to our planning and development.”
UBP has been a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) since 2012. More recently, the Bank joined the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s ‘Investment Leaders Group’, a select network of pension funds, insurers and asset managers committed to advancing the practice of responsible investing.
The Swiss-based firm has CHF 126.8 billion in assets under management.
