AXA IM to launch global smart beta ESG fund

Retail share class to come later in year

AXA Investment Managers has launched an institutional global smart beta equity ESG fund, with a retail share class expected to follow later in the year.

The AXA World Funds Global SmartBeta Equity ESG fund aims to deliver between 1%-2% annualised excess return with approximately 80% of market volatility over a full cycle. It also aims to achieve a higher environmental, social and governance (ESG) score than the market, and a lower carbon footprint. The company said its ESG framework is systematically incorporated into the fund's portfolio construction to avoid companies with low ESG scores, while increasing exposure to companies with high ESG scores. Has ESG morphed to become just a box-ticking exercise? Jonathan White, AXA IM s...