Pensions & Investments: ESG: Multi-Asset Investing
NEPC’s Dulari Pancholi was featured in a recent Pensions & Investments article to share top ESG themes as well as developments in data, benchmarks and regulation that are powering continued inflows into ESG investing across both public and private assets. View the article on Pensions & Investments’ site here.
Environmental, social and governance investing has evolved far beyond a process based on exclusion to one that is inclusive, activist and focused on alpha. Institutional investors are addressing the dual purpose — to effect change and generate alpha — via a range of sustainable investment approaches, typically impact funds, asset-specific ESG strategies or multi-asset portfolios.
Across all approaches, the state of investing based on ESG factors is robust. Global ESG assets under management were $35.3 trillion in 2020, up 15% from $30.6 trillion in 2018, according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance. ESG’s portion of total global AUM rose to 35.9% from 33.4% in the same period.
GSIA projects global ESG AUM will rise 16%, to $41 trillion, this year; and 22%, to $50 trillion, by 2025. The message is clear: ESG investing is here to stay, and its future is bright
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While a multi-asset strategy can be one of several ways to implement an ESG investment approach, Dulari Pancholi, CFA, CAIA, principal and head of credit and multi-asset at NEPC, said that she sees multi-asset as the right approach for asset owners today.
“The way ESG investing has evolved almost requires you to take a multi-asset approach,” she said. “The investible universe has expanded so much beyond the listed stocks where ESG originated. Now there are asset classes like private debt and private markets, or debt more generally, [and they] are tougher to work with” in terms of the availability of ESG products and challenges in ESG data collection. “In the fixed-income space, for example, you now have green bonds, which are an evolution of green revolving-loan facilities. There are term loans that are tied to sustainability metrics and sustainability-linked bonds that are tied to the ESG performance of the portfolio or underlying company.
“So if you’re trying to build an ESG portfolio that can integrate some or all of the available asset classes, you need a toolbox that can hold a lot of different tools. That’s what multi-asset is all about,” Pancholi said.
Click here to continue reading the full Pensions & Investments article.
The Wall Street Journal: Almost Half of Stock Pickers Beat the Market in Early 2022 Selloff
NEPC’s Tim McCusker was quoted in a recent Wall Street Journal article to discuss how active managers have benefitted from monetary tightening in early 2022. View the article on The Wall Street Journal’s site here.
Nearly half of large-cap U.S. stock-picking funds beat the S&P 500 during the brutal selloff in the first half of the year, putting active managers on pace for their best year since 2009.
Bruised by sky-high inflation and rising interest rates, the S&P 500 fell 20% on a total return basis, which includes dividends as well as price changes, in the first six months of 2022. That was the index’s worst first half in data going back to 1988, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
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“In the first half, active managers being compared against the market may have benefited from the environment of monetary tightening as the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates”, said Tim McCusker, chief investment officer at investment consulting firm NEPC.
“That’s a helpful thing for active managers,” he said. “Instead of money just flooding into equity markets and pushing all assets higher, you’re starting to see some differentiation.”
Click here to continue reading the full Wall Street Journal article.
NEPC Continues Expansion of Corporate Consulting Teams, Adding Leadership
BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– NEPC, a leading research-driven investment consultant with $1.5 trillion in assets under advisement, has expanded its Corporate Consulting practice group by acquiring a team from Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM). The additions include three new Principals – Alison Lonstein, Matt Maleri, and Joe Nankof – and a new Senior Consultant, Emma O’Brien, all of whom will support clients across NEPC’s business.
Prior to joining NEPC, Lonstein, Maleri, O’Brien, and Nankof served as Consultants and Lead Portfolio Managers at GSAM. The team formed while at Rocaton Investment Advisors, which was acquired by GSAM in 2019.
“Bringing this team on board is a direct reflection that the best consultants in the industry continue to choose NEPC as a place to grow,” said Craig Svendsen, Partner and Corporate Practice Director at NEPC. “This team’s experience and skillset strengthens our position as an industry-leading strategic partner capable of helping our clients weather volatile markets.”
Today’s news is part of a broader trend of former executives from Aon, Mercer, and Meketa recently joining NEPC’s leadership team.
Lonstein and O’Brien will join NEPC’s Defined Contribution practice group, while Maleri and Nankof will join NEPC’s Corporate Defined Benefit practice group. The new team members will also help support NEPC’s healthcare and insurance clients.
“We’ve had the utmost respect for NEPC’s leadership for years and are excited about joining at such a critical time for clients,” said Nankof. “As we began considering our next step, we wanted to find an independent firm with a close-knit, client-first culture. NEPC provides that culture and is an excellent fit on many different levels.”
For more information about NEPC’s leadership team, click here.
ABOUT NEPC, LLC
NEPC, LLC, is one of the country’s leading investment consulting firms, servicing 403 retainer clients with $1.5 trillion in assets1 with $301.2 billion in alternative assets2. Combining a proprietary research team dedicated to the long-term challenges facing investors with our unique client-centric model, NEPC builds forward-looking investment portfolios for institutional investors and ultra-high-net worth individuals. To learn more about NEPC, visit nepc.com.
1 As of 4/1/2022
2 As of 12/31/2021, NEPC provides some form of advice to all clients counted but does not advise all clients on all asset classes.
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Global Investment Leaders Podcast: Guiding the World's Largest Employee-Owned Institutional Consultant
NEPC Managing Partner Mike Manning joined Rosemont CEO Chas Burkhart on the latest episode of the Global Investment Leaders podcast to share his perspective on the firm’s evolution since its founding in 1986, how NEPC is positioning for the future, and more.
Listen now:
NEPC Appoints Former Meketa Executive To COO Role
BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– NEPC, a leading research-driven investment consultant with $1.4 trillion in assets under advisement, today announced that Kellie Kane will join the firm as Partner and Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective May 2, 2022. Kane will be responsible for overseeing the execution and implementation of NEPC’s forward-looking operational strategy, including the firm’s performance reporting, technology, and discretionary operations teams. She will be an active member of the firm’s Executive Team, and will report directly to Managing Partner Mike Manning.
“I am happy to announce that Kellie Kane has joined our team as Partner and Chief Operating Officer,” said Manning. “Her skillset and industry experience make her uniquely suited to this role. I know she will play a large part in helping us achieve our strategic operational goals.”
Prior to joining NEPC, Kane spent 24 years at Meketa Investment Group where she most recently served as Partner and Chief Operating Officer. In this previous role, Kane oversaw a large staff across teams like IT, systems development, data, performance reporting, investment analytics, administrative, and transfer operations.
“Joining NEPC means I’m joining a firm with an incredible reputation, earned through its employee-led culture and client-focused philosophy,” said Kane. “I know I’ll be connecting and collaborating with dynamic leaders here – leaders who are just as passionate about improving the financial lives of their clients as I am.”
For more information on NEPC’s Leadership Team, click here.
ABOUT NEPC, LLC
NEPC is an independent investment consultant and private wealth advisor, serving over 400 retainer clients and $1.4 trillion in total assets. Combining a proprietary research team dedicated to the long-term challenges facing investors with our unique client-centric model, NEPC builds forward-looking investment portfolios for institutional investors and ultra-high-net worth individuals. To learn more about NEPC, visit nepc.com.
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The Wall Street Journal: New York City Wants to Amp Up Risk in Workers Pensions
Institutional Investor: NEPC Says Majority of Asset Owner Clients Now Invest With Diverse Managers
NEPC 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Progress Report: Radical Transparency is Key to DEI Progress
BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– NEPC, a leading research-driven investment consultant with $1.4 trillion in assets under advisement, today published its second annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Progress Report, the first annually-produced report of its kind for the investment consulting industry.
The report tracks annual progress against the firm’s data-driven Diverse Manager Policy goals and reaffirms NEPC’s belief that investment consultants play a significant role in the financial industry’s quest to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms.
“Our goal is to be a change agent for the democratization of access to capital. To do that, NEPC is committed to being radically transparent at all levels – from the way we hire talent to the way we engage with diverse investment managers,” said Sam Austin, Partner & Governance Board Member; Manager of NEPC’s Western U.S. Public Funds Team, and Chair of NEPC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board.
“Our 2021 report lives up to that commitment. Consultants might be wary of sharing all their data in this way, but in this instance, progress is far more important than public perception.”
NEPC’s 2021 DEI Progress Report provides a clear view into the firm’s DEI initiatives across its entire ecosystem. Listed below are highlights from this year’s report:
Increasing Diversity in NEPC’s Talent Pipeline
- 58% of new hires come from diverse backgrounds
- 37% of all 2021 new hires are gender diverse, up 6% from 2020
- 30% of NEPC partners are from diverse backgrounds
- NEPC launched a new MBA Rotational Program to recruit diverse candidates to participate in a summer intern experience at the firm. Half of all 2021 interns have accepted offers to join NEPC on a permanent basis.
Increasing Diversity in NEPC’s Recommended Strategies
- In 2021, NEPC launched its Explorer Program, a platform to identify and engage with diverse-owned and -led investment management firms that are not currently 1- or 2-rated by NEPC.
- The firm increased its vetting of diverse managers by almost 30% in 2021, largely due to initiatives like the Explorer Program.
- NEPC completed a total of 315 meetings with diverse firms over the past two years, significantly surpassing the goal of 132 meetings outlined in NEPC’s Diverse Manager Policy
- 59% of all NEPC clients currently use diverse managers in their portfolios, and 188 client strategies are fully managed by diverse firms. This equates to $40.7 billion in client assets allocated to diverse firms.
“The industry is aware of the importance of increasing diversity at all levels, but we’ve come to realize that it’s a goal that can only be achieved through bold action by investment consultants,” said Mike Manning, Managing Partner and President of NEPC. “As gatekeepers for trillions of dollars of assets, consultants have the power to ensure that governments, institutions, families and individuals are preserving and growing their capital across asset classes and market cycles in ways that create enduring, equitable, and inclusive change for the investment industry and our world.”
For more information about NEPC’s sustainable solutions like its Impact Investing Committee and Diverse Manager Committee, click here. To download the full results of NEPC’s 2021 DEI Progress Report, click here.
ABOUT NEPC, LLC
NEPC is an independent investment consultant and private wealth advisor, serving over 400 retainer clients and $1.4 trillion in total assets. Combining a proprietary research team dedicated to the long-term challenges facing investors with our unique client-centric model, NEPC builds forward-looking investment portfolios for institutional investors and ultra-high-net worth individuals. To learn more about NEPC, visit nepc.com.
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Laura Nascimento
PlanSponsor: Corporate DB Plans See Slight Funded Status Improvement in February
