Candriam Academy closes the sustainable investing information gap.

Sustainable performance, driven by values

Sustainable investing was once a niche market but, in the wake of the sudden economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, investors are reassessing their portfolios, for both sustainability and their vulnerability to future unforeseen risks. In this atmosphere, ESG has become even more important to investors and those who want to see a more responsible form of capitalism rise out of this crisis. Naim Abou-Jaoudé, CEO of CANDRIAM, and Chairman of New York Life Investments International, believes that we are at an ESG turning point: “Sustainability already exists as a megatrend and if you look at the relative performance of ESG investment strategies, it’s underpinned by strong performance.”1

Research has proven that not only do investors want stocks that make a difference, but that also offer strong performance. In 2015, academics analyzed more than 2,000 studies on the relation between ESG criteria and corporate financial performance. They found that in roughly 90 percent of them, companies with strong ESG profiles had equal or better financial performance than their non-ESG counterparts.1

A New York Life Investments survey of 600 US investors in 2019 found that 38 percent of them stated an extremely high interest in discussing ESG strategies.1 And this isn’t just a trend driven by Millennials. Over half of these investors (53 percent) identified themselves as “values-driven,” with an average age of 48.5 years old. When investors identify as values-driven, their interest in sustainable investing rockets to 84 percent.

As a result of this increase in investor demand for value-driven performance, more financial advisors are shifting focus to ESG criteria for their funds and stocks. The Academy plays a vital role in educating investors and advisors alike.

Market leader

Multi-boutique investment manager CANDRIAM has long been a market leader in sustainable, socially responsible and ESG investing, having launched its first Sustainable and Responsible Investing fund in 1996.

Yie-Hsin Hung, CEO of New York Life Investment Management, which is a part of New York Life Investments, believes that education is the bedrock of effective investment management. She says: “Our mission is to close the pronounced information gap in sustainable investing by providing high-quality, actionable tools and resources to help investors and advisors learn the essentials of ESG – especially as ESG funds have generated strong performance and record inflows during this most recent market environment.”

“We are thrilled to leverage CANDRIAM’s sustainable investing legacy and insight to enable our clients to better understand the rapidly growing ESG market and build more meaningful and lasting relationships with investors who increasingly identify as values-driven.” 

¹ Candriam chief Abou-Jaoudé reflects on a changing business, Global Investor, Spring 2020, Accessed July 10, 2020 https://www.newyorklife.com/assets/newsroom/docs/pdfs/GIisfMar2020CandriamplusCover.pdf

“New York Life Investments” is both a service mark, and the common trade name, of certain investment advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company.

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