Hermes Fund Managers has brought together its global equity strategies under one umbrella to better represent the strength, size and diverse range of global equity products it offers. The range of strategies, from core to concentrated, to lower volatility, small cap and ESG-focused strategies, can be used by institutional and wholesale investors to access global equity markets in a wide variety of ways.

Each strategy provides a different exposure to global markets, but all share the same common focus of delivering superior long-term returns through market cycles.

The strategies encompassed within Hermes’ global equity offering include:
• Core – aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation by investing in a portfolio of approximately 180 equities in the MSCI World index
• ESG Screened - aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation whilst excluding companies based on the following factors:
- Identified by Hermes EOS as involved in controversial weapons
- On Hermes EOS’ Controversial Companies Report with a High Severity rating for environmental and social risks and where engagement is deemed unfeasible
- Generating >10% of revenue from gambling, tobacco, logging, nuclear energy or armaments
• ESG Enhanced – aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation by investing in equities with favourable ESG characteristics
• Concentrated – aims to outperform the MSCI All Country World Index (NR) by 3-5% by investing in a portfolio of approximately 50 mid to large cap stocks
• Smaller Companies – aims to exceed the return of the MSCI World Small Cap, on a three year rolling basis by investing in a portfolio of typically between 60 and 90 stocks
• Low Volatility - a customisable portfolio allocating to 10-15 long/short equity managers with the goal of achieving two thirds of the upside and one third of the downside of global equity markets

Saker Nusseibeh, Chief Executive Officer, Hermes Fund Managers, said: “We aspire to excellence in everything we do. This manifests itself most visibly in our investment performance, where as at 31 December 2013, 82% of our strategies outperformed their benchmarks since inception.

“By bringing together our global equity strategies under one umbrella, we hope to demonstrate the breadth and quality of our offering. We believe this will more easily allow our clients to identify the strategies appropriate to their needs.”


For further information, please contact:

Hermes Fund Managers

Jean Dumas
+44 (0)20 7680 2152
j.dumas@hermes.co.uk

Melanie Shelley
+44 (0) 20 7680 2110
m.shelley@hermes.co.uk



Notes to Editors:

Hermes Fund Managers

Hermes is a unique fund manager – we have been an industry leader in Responsible Investing for over thirty years and offer clients the unparalleled combination of:
• Our Multi-Boutique Structure gives institutional and pension fund clients globally the benefit of access to a broad range of specialist, high conviction investment teams operating within an established and robust operating platform.
• Our Investment Office is a crucial function, acting as a performance risk ‘radar’ for all boutiques’ investment activity and is central to our mission to deliver Sustainable Risk-Adjusted Alpha to all our clients.
• Our commitment to behaving as a Responsible Asset Manager, not merely by being a ‘Responsible Investor’ in quoted companies but also by applying these principles across all asset classes and by behaving as a ‘good fiduciary’ on behalf of our clients.

Hermes' investment solutions include:
• Bonds: Inflation-Linked, Government Bonds, Investment Grade, High Yield
• Alternatives: Commodities, Hedge Fund Solutions, Real Estate, Private Equity, Infrastructure
• Equities: Global, Emerging Markets, Small & Mid Cap, Europe, Japan

Hermes manages assets on behalf of more than 170 clients* across these investment areas with £26.3 billion* assets under management. Additionally, we support pension funds and other global institutional investors worldwide in meeting their ESG responsibilities through our market leading Hermes Equity Ownership Services, which takes on a stewardship role engaging globally on more than £98 billion* of assets.


* Please note the total AuM figure includes £3.4bn of assets managed or under an advisory agreement by Hermes GPE LLP (“HGPE”), a joint venture between Hermes Fund Managers (“HFM”) and GPE Partner Limited. HGPE is an independent entity and not part of the Hermes group. £0.4bn of total group AuM figure represents HFM mandates under advice. Source: Hermes as at 31 December 2013.