Ascencia’s ESG investment portfolio delivered market-beating returns in 2020

As we finally closed the door on 2020 at the weekend, there’s no denying it was a challenging year on many levels, not least financially.

Although the markets have seen overall improvement since Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill last spring, the FTSE 100 still ended December at around 15% below the mark at which it had started the year.

A rare bright spot in a dark year, however, can be found in the world of responsible investing – investments which avoid ethically questionable practices and focus on areas like clean energy, healthcare and technology.

Ascencia’s ESG (environmental, social and governance) portfolios have shown growth of up to 8.53% over the year to December 2020. Even our lowest risk ESG 3 portfolio has delivered a 6.28% return over the same 12-month period, which represents a 2.5% improvement on the industry benchmark ARC PCI over the same period. Our balanced risk ESG 4 portfolio has fared even better, outstripping the ARC PCI by 4.11% thanks to an 8.13% return over the same period.

Should you consider Ascencia’s ESG portfolio for your clients’ future investments? We think so. You don’t need to be a market expert to predict that healthcare will be attracting significant investment over the coming months and years, while clean energy sits at the top of government agendas, and investment strategies, all over the world. Technology too has bucked the negative market trend over the course of 2020 as the virus has provided a catalyst for already-growing trends such as remote working and online entertainment, sectors which seem almost certain to continue growing as they increasingly become the norm in a post-pandemic world.

These areas are all crucial to Ascencia’s ESG investment strategy, and with our in-house team of experts and a selection of independent analysts we seek not just to invest responsibly, but to do so while delivering steady capital growth at minimal risk to clients’ capital. Our results speak for themselves.

If you’re interested in investing responsibly, and delivering market-leading returns with the twin comforts of minimal risk and a clear conscience, contact us for more information.