Securities

Securities make up the largest share of Swiss Life Asset Mansagers’ total assets under management. Swiss Life Asset Managers takes a large number of measures into account in the investment process for securities. This includes NZAM targets, the systematic exclusion of certain companies and customised ESG-intergration.

In the investment process for securities – such as shares and corporate and government bonds – Swiss Life Asset Managers uses, among other things, analyses by various independent international ESG research and valuation service providers. ESG information on over 20 000 share and bond issuers worldwide helps Swiss Life Asset Managers to swiftly identify and anticipate the risks relating to environmental and social issues as well as governance aspects.

Swiss Life Asset Managers adapts its ESG strategy in line with both the product category and the specific requirements of its clients, especially for dedicated mandates. With regard to securities, it places great emphasis on meaningful, comprehensive ESG data with measurable targets to ensure sound and transparent decision-making. In order to provide timely support in the portfolio and risk management processes, Swiss Life Asset Managers has developed a system that provides notification of any potential misconduct on the part of companies in which investments are made.

In the area of fixed-income securities, Swiss Life Asset Managers integrates ESG factors such as ratings and controversies into its credit analysis process to ensure that sustainability aspects are taken into account when making investment decisions. In addition, some of its fixed-income products are geared around specific CO₂ reduction targets, which is in line with its commitment as a signatory to the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative (NZAM) (see above).

For equity investments, Swiss Life Asset Managers follows a primarily passive strategy, which means the defined reference universe is more important. As a result, there is limited flexibility to exclude investments from the investment universe. ESG factors remain a key component in optimising portfolios and play a significant role in strengthening shareholder engagement through exercising voting rights and engaging in dialogue with portfolio companies (see “Active Stewardship” section).

Furthermore, Swiss Life Asset Managers aims to integrate sustainability not only into its investment decisions, but also into its reporting and risk monitoring frameworks. By incorporating ESG factors into these processes, the company ensures that sustainability remains a key element of its overall risk management approach and is communicated transparently to its stakeholders.

The Stewardship Report is available at www.swisslife-am.com/active-stewardship-report-en