UBS Global Asset Management has unveiled its sixth socially responsible exchange-traded fund: the UBS ETF MSCI UK IMI Socially Responsible UCITS ETF.
Andrew Walsh, Head of ETF Sales UK at UBS Global Asset Management.
The fund, which has been listed on the London Stock Exchange, provides exposure to UK companies with outstanding sustainability credentials.
The ETF is linked to the MSCI UK IMI Extended SRI Index and is composed of large-, mid- and small-cap companies.
The index is part of MSCI’s global socially responsible investing index family which targets companies with high environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings relative to their sector peers and excludes companies inconsistent with certain values-based criteria.
Excluded companies include those involved in alcohol, tobacco, gambling, civilian firearms, military weapons, nuclear power, adult entertainment and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The fund further expands UBS’s suite of socially responsible ETFs, which covers both developed and emerging markets.
The suite already includes:
UBS ETF (LU) MSCI Emerging Markets Socially Responsible UCITS ETF
UBS ETF-MSCI Pacific Socially Responsible UCITS ETF
UBS ETF-MSCI Europe & Middle East Socially Responsible UCITS ETF
UBS ETF-MSCI World Socially Responsible UCITS ETF
UBS ETF-MSCI North America Socially Responsible UCITS ETF
Andrew Walsh, Head of UBS ETF Sales UK & Ireland, commented: “With this UK market-focused SRI listing, we continue in our commitment to offering ETFs which enable investors to access those companies which meet rigorous environmental, social and corporate governance standards in an easy to access structure.”
Thomas Merz, Head of UBS ETF Europe, added: “With this series of socially responsible ETFs, investors benefit as shareholders of companies that meet the highest environmental, social and corporate governance criteria amongst their peer groups without sacrificing returns. In tracking MSCI’s high quality benchmark indexes, we are able to provide investors with transparent, cost-efficient access to SRI-screened companies.”
Deborah Yang, Head of MSCI’s index business in EMEA and South Asia, said: “We are delighted that UBS, a leading provider of socially responsible ETFs, has chosen to license the complete family of MSCI Global SRI Indexes. This is a sign of the growing demand from our clients for socially responsible indexes.”
The fund has a total expense ratio of 0.28%.