Direct lenders pin hopes on ESG as risk management tool
Strategies geared towards environmental, social and governance (ESG) may have originally been popularised at the behest of pension funds seeking responsible investments, but there are growing hopes that incorporating ESG will help fund managers outperform in a downturn.

UK pension scheme quits tobacco
Nest is set to go tobacco free across all its investments, with the largest UK pension master trust expecting that the process will take up to two years.  

BNP Paribas AM hires Robeco investment specialist for quant strategies
BNP Paribas Asset Management has appointed Grégory Taïeb for the newly-created role of investment specialist within the firm’s multi-asset, quantitative and solutions investment group, which includes investments in credit.  

Wells Fargo AM appoints global head of ESG
Wells Fargo Asset Management is looking to enhance its environmental, social and governance (ESG) capabilities and has appointed Hannah Skeates as global head of ESG

US pension seek real estate debt managers
The State Universities Retirement System (SURS) has launched a real assets investment search, seeking private core, private core plus, and private non-core real estate managers, on both debt and equity  

Lazard appoints co-heads of sustainable investment and ESG
Lazard Asset Management has appointed co-heads of sustainable investment and ESG across both sides of the Atlantic 

NN hires head of fixed income and responsible investing
NN Investment Partners (NN IP), a Dutch insurer and investment manager, has appointed a head of fixed income and responsible investing

Sweden eases investment law for pension funds
The Swedish parliament has approved investment guidelines giving the country’s four state pension plans greater freedom to invest in illiquid markets    

Finnish foundation seeks alternatives manager
Turku 2029 foundation, a recently created Finnish foundation based in the city of Turku, has issued a notice seeking a manager for its €8m alternatives investments, in a bid to diversify its portfolio.  

Machines connect as credit managers’ new best friends
The clamour for credit funds that adhere to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria means the managers behind these funds are handling ever-larger and deeper data sets. This has led a growing number of fund managers to divert resources into incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into their investment processes

Amundi nurtures green growth with credit fund
The Paris-based manager is looking to raise a green-focused credit fund, according to documents seen by Creditflux

Pimco launches latest ESG-focused credit offering
Pimco has launched its latest environmental, social and governance (ESG) fixed income offering - GIS Global Investment Grade Credit ESG Fund.

Cairn makes ESG and senior credit research appointments
Cairn Capital has signalled its commitment to environmental, social and governance with the appointment of a head of ESG

Pimco receives nearly $400 million for ESG fixed income mandate
 An $11 billion super fund has awarded a new ESG-focused fixed income mandate to Pimco

BlackRock unveils ESG-focused emerging market debt suite
BlackRock has launched a series of emerging market debt funds that will have an environmental,social and governance (ESG) focus

Consultant calls on investors to quiz managers over ESG processes
The lack of consistent and reliable data seems to be a major challenge when embracing environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria across private equity, infrastructure and credit.

JP Morgan and BlackRock launch ESG fixed income indices
JP Morgan has teamed up with BlackRock to create new ESG global fixed income indicies - a "big step forward for emerging market investments" 

UK and German firms team up to launch global ESG fixed income fund
London-based manager J8 Capital Management and Frankfurt-based investment company Universal-Investment are to launch a new fixed income fund, the companies announced on Wednesday.

Cigarette break: Dutch manager excludes tobacco investments from fund line
 Robeco has become the latest asset manager to oust tobacco investments, making the exclusion from its entire mutual fund line

Stockholm manager poised to launch two credit hedge funds
The Swedish manager confirms plans to launch two new vehicles, one $100 million fund next month and another early next year

London-based SRI fund passes the $1.3 billion mark
A socially responsible investment fund run by Rathbones is believed to be the first 'sustainable' fixed income fund to reach the £1 billion ($1.33 billion) mark