Investment stewardship

Investment stewardship

Investment stewardship entails interacting with the businesses in which we have stakes to address opportunities and risks, both company- and market-specific. The team collaborates with regulators, decision-makers, and industry peers to address systemic concerns. 

Why is investment stewardship important? It is because it helps to ensure that an investment will be worth its value over the long term. This is especially important for investments intended to be held for a long time, such as retirement savings.  

Here we provide an overview of investment stewardship. 

What is investment stewardship? 

Investment stewardship refers to the prudent management of money that we distribute on our customers’ behalf in order to provide long-term positive effects for society, the economy, and the environment. 

In simple words, investment stewardship is the professional management of investments on behalf of clients. We can also define it as the process of ensuring that investments are managed to meet the clients’ specific goals and objectives.

Understanding investment stewardship 

There are several different ways to approach investment stewardship. One common approach is to periodically review the performance of the investment and make adjustments as needed. This might involve selling off losing investments and reinvesting in more of the promising ones.  

Another approach is to diversify one’s investments across a number of different asset classes. This can help to mitigate the risk of losing money on any single investment.  

Having a strategy and following it are the most important aspects to consider. Always remember investment stewardship is not something that can be done haphazardly. And it requires discipline and a commitment to long-term success. 

Objective of investment stewardship 

The objective of investment stewardship is to ensure that investments are managed in a way that serves the expectations of the investors. This mainly includes ensuring that the investments are safe, sound, and profitable. Other objectives are: 

• To protect and enhance the value of shareholders’ investments. 
• To ensure that companies are run responsibly and sustainably. 

• To promote good corporate governance.  

Investment stewardship also includes engaging companies on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. 

Importance of investment stewardship 

There are a number of reasons why investment stewardship is important. First, it helps to ensure that investments are managed in a way that is consistent with the client’s goals. This is important because it helps to ensure that the client’s goals are met and that their money is being used in a way that is consistent with their wishes.  

Second, investment stewardship helps to ensure that investments are managed in a way that is efficient and effective. This is important as it ensures that the client’s funds are being utilized in a way that will most likely produce the intended outcomes.  

Third, investment stewardship helps ensure that investments are managed in a transparent and accountable way. This is important because it helps to ensure that the clients know what is happening with their money and that they can hold the investment manager accountable for the results.  

Fourth, investment stewardship helps to ensure that investments are managed in a way that is ethical and responsible. This is important because it helps to ensure that the client’s money is being utilized in a way that is consistent with their values.  

Roles and responsibilities of stewardship 

We know that investment stewardship is the process of monitoring and managing investments to ensure that they meet the investor’s goals and objectives. This process includes ensuring that the investments are properly diversified, generating the desired return, and being managed in a way that is consistent with the investor’s risk tolerance. 

The investment stewardship process is typically overseen by an investment committee or board of directors. This group is responsible for setting the organisation’s investment policy and monitoring the investment performance. They may also delegate some investment stewardship responsibilities to external investment managers. 

The investment stewardship process ensures that the organisation’s investments meet its goals. It is also a way to protect the organisation’s assets and to ensure that the investments are being managed in a way that is consistent with the organisation’s values. 

Frequently Asked Questions