Award winning Gloucester investment company achieves recognition for ESG multi-asset fund range

Gloucester based investment company Blackfinch has received the Defaqto 4 Diamond Rating for its Asset Management Adaptation Funds less than 12 months after their launch.

Defaqto, an independent financial information and technology business, launched its Diamond Ratings in 2013 to help segment the funds and portfolios available in each sector because they indicate, at a glance, where for example Risk Targeted Fund Families or Multi-Asset Income Funds sit in the market based on both performance and a range of other key attributes.

Given in recognition of the multi-asset unit trusts’ performance and competitiveness in the market, the accolade indicates that Blackfinch’s Adaptation Funds offer a good proposition relative to the peer group across charges, performance, risk shape and other features.

Individually labelled Blackfinch VT, the multi-asset funds were set up in July 2020 to meet demand from a growing number of financial advisers seeking to meet clients’ ethical investment concerns and to avoid the confusion of the 10 per cent loss reporting brought in by MiFID II (the 2018 legislative framework which strengthens investor protection and making financial markets more resilient and transparent).

This included increased demand for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) propositions, and coincided with a comprehensive rebrand for the Blackfinch Group which last year confirmed its commitment to helping to create a more sustainable world through its own focus on ESG factors.

This includes investing in funds and firms that are paying close attention to the impact they make on society and the environment, and any investments which do not meet the clearly defined ESG standards are screened out.

Richard Cook, Founder and CEO of Blackfinch Group welcomed the recognition which he said ‘further cements’ the company’s commitment to helping clients and advisers reach their personal finance and business goals by delivering extensive business support and a straightforward portfolio.

He said: “Such recognition is not only confirmation that it offers a good proposition relative to the peer group across charges, performance, risk shape and other features; it is also testament to our approach of offering straightforward, clear and transparent investment opportunities that are targeted and streamlined in terms of their ratings, structure, reporting and availability.

“Equally, we’re proud that our Adaptation Funds are structured in a way that addresses the growing demand from advisers to offer an ESG-committed outsourced solution which brings the benefits of greater investment scope and regulatory parameters."

Pan Andreas, Head of Insight and Consulting (Funds & DFM) at Defaqto adds: “Defaqto Diamond Ratings are an unbiased assessment of the quality and performance of a fund, fund range or model portfolio (MPS). We combine a quantitative assessment of both performance and numerous other data points, including manager tenure, assets under management and costs. Blackfinch’s 4 Diamond Rating for its Asset Management Adaption Funds indicates the high quality of its proposition.”