Ethically screened investment – the Stewardship Income Fund
The Stewardship Income Fund aims for long-term capital growth with any income from a Stewardship Income Fund investment reinvested in the fund, to increase the value of the units.
A Stewardship Income Fund investment is concentrated on UK companies that comply with certain ethical criteria, and whose products and services are passed by the fund’s governance team as being of long-term benefit to the community, both in the UK and abroad. A Stewardship Income Fund investment will exclude any companies involved in harmful products or practices, or which trade with oppressive regimes.
Fund manager Catherine Stanley comments: “Many investors are unwilling to accept performance which comes at the expense of others, the planet or its wildlife, a need our Stewardship funds seek to address.” Catherine Stanley has over 17 years of investment experience, and is the head of Stewardship’s UK Smaller Companies team.
The Stewardship Income Fund was launched in 1987 and now has over £273m in funds under management.
The Stewardship Income Fund is a UK-based open-ended investment fund (OEIC) which measures its performance against the FTSE All-Share Index. The Stewardship Income Fund has consistently outperformed its index over the past 5 years.
The minimum amount for a Stewardship Income Fund investment is £1,000. Fees are based on an initial fee of 5% and an annual fee of 1.5%.
Where does the Stewardship Income Fund invest?
At the end of April 2010, a Stewardship Income Fund investment was broken down as follows: financials (29.1%), industrials (17.6%), consumer services (15.1%), utilities (9.7%), oil & gas (8.4%), telecomms (8.1%), technology 3.3%, and cash and other investments (8.7%).
To give a flavour of the companies in a Stewardship Income Fund investment, the largest holdings at the end of April 2010 were: Vodafone, HSBC, BG Group, Cairn Energy, National Grid, Scottish & Southern, Aviva, Prodesse Investment, Informa Plc, and Pearson.
A Stewardship Income Fund investment can be made via a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) or an Individual Savings Account (SIPP).
Are you interested in a Stewardship Income Fund investment or in other ethical investments? Contact us now for investment advice or ring freephone 0800 6785929
