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RobecoSAM Smart Materials Equities F USD

Scarce resources, abundant investment opportunities

Contact us

Share classes

Share classes

Every share class of a product invests in the same portfolio of securities and has the same investment objectives and policies. However, their parameters might deviate. For instance and amongst others, their distribution type, currency exposure or fees and expenses might differ. The most common share classes at Robeco are:
a) D/DH shares, which are regular shares and available for all Investors;
b) I/IH shares, for institutional investors as defined from time to time by the Luxembourg supervisory authority.
For more information on share classes please go to the prospectus.

F-USD

D-CHF

D-EUR

D-USD

F-CHF

F-EUR

G-EUR

G-GBP

I-EUR

I-GBP

I-USD

M2-EUR

Z-EUR

Z-GBP

Z-USD

Class and codes

Asset class:

Equities

ISIN:

LU2145464348

Bloomberg:

RSSMFUA LX

Index

MSCI World Index TRN

Sustainability-related information

Sustainability-related information

Under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, products can be labelled as either Article 6, 8 or 9 fund.

Article 6 - The fund is not in scope of enhanced sustainability disclosures compared to Article 8 and 9.
Article 8 - The fund does not have a sustainable investment objective but promotes environmental or social characteristics and is subject to enhanced sustainability disclosures.
Article 9 - The fund has a sustainable investment objective and is subject to enhanced sustainability disclosures.

Regardless of Article 8 or 9, the companies in which investments are made must follow good governance practices, and sustainable investments must not do any significant harm.

Article 9

Morningstar

Morningstar

Copyright © Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Download The Morningstar Rating for Funds (chapter: The Morningstar Rating: Three-, Five-, and 10-Year) on the Morningstar website.

Rating (28/02)

  • Overview
  • Performance & costs
  • Portfolio
  • Sustainability
  • Commentary
  • Documents
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Fund topics

Overview
Performance & costs
Portfolio
Sustainability
Commentary
Documents
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MISSING: fund.detail.tabs.

Key points

  • Forward-looking concept — Focus on companies that benefit from structural changes resulting from resource scarcity. The fund invests in companies offering products and services that substitute existing materials and processes
  • Focus areas — Invests in structural winners along the materials value chain. The most interesting and fastest-growing focus areas are electric mobility, robotics and lightweight materials.

About this fund

RobecoSAM Smart Materials Equities is an actively managed fund that invests globally in companies that provide innovative materials and process technologies. The selection of these stocks is based on fundamental analysis. The fund has sustainable investment as its objective, within the meaning of Article 9 of the Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 of 27 November 2019 on Sustainability-related disclosures in the financial sector. The strategy integrates sustainability criteria as part of the stock selection process and through a theme-specific sustainability assessment. The portfolio is built on the basis of an eligible investment universe that includes companies whose business models contribute to the thematic investment objectives. The assessment regarding relevant SDGs uses an internally developed framework, more information on which can be obtained at www.robeco.com/si. The fund also aims to achieve a better return than the index.

Key facts

Per 28-02-2023

Total size of fund

$ 1,276,117,893

Size of share class

$ 1,767,377

Inception date fund

29-10-2020

1-year performance

-4.42%

Dividend paying

No

The value of the investments may fluctuate. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Performances are net of fees and based on transaction prices.

Fund manager

Pieter Busscher CFA

Pieter Busscher is Portfolio Manager of the RobecoSAM Smart Materials Equities and RobecoSAM Smart Mobility Equities strategies. He focuses on sustainable growth opportunities in new materials, efficiency technologies, reuse of resources and new mobility solutions. He started at Robeco as a Deputy Portfolio Manager for the Sustainable Water strategy. Pieter became the Lead Portfolio Manager for Smart Materials in 2009 and Deputy Portfolio Manager for Smart Mobility at launch in 2018. Prior to joining Robeco in 2007, he began his career at Credit Suisse Asset Management in Zurich. He studied International Business at RSM Erasmus University and Banking and Finance at the University of St. Gallen and is a CFA® charterholder.

Key points
About the fund
Key facts
Fund manager

Performance

Per period

Per annum

  • Per period
  • Per annum
Per 28-02-2023
Per period Fund Index

1 month

-3.05%

-2.40%

3 months 

6.89%

0.06%

YTD

12.18%

4.50%

1 year

-4.42%

-7.33%

2 years

-4.10%

1.30%

3 years

11.93%

9.90%

Since inception 07/2018

5.03%

7.59%

The value of the investments may fluctuate. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Annualized (for periods longer than one year).
Performances are net of fees and based on transaction prices.
Per annum Fund Index

2022

-25.53%

-18.14%

2021

16.53%

21.82%

2020

30.18%

15.90%

2019

16.68%

27.67%

2020-2022

4.15%

4.94%

The value of the investments may fluctuate. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Annualized (for periods longer than one year).
Performances are net of fees and based on transaction prices.

Statistics

Statistics

Hit-ratio

  • Statistics
  • Hit-ratio
Per 28-02-2023
Statistics 3 years

Tracking error ex-post (%)

The ex-post tracking error is defined as the volatility of the fund's achieved excess return over the index return. In fund management, most managers are subject to an ex-ante (pre-determined) tracking error, which defines the extent of the additional risk they may take when aspiring to outperform the fund's benchmark. The ex-post tracking error explains the distribution of past fund performances compared to those of its underlying benchmark. With a higher tracking error, the fund's returns deviate more from its index's returns, hence there is a greater chance that the fund may outperform. The wider the spread of returns relative to the benchmark, the more "actively" a fund has been managed. In contrast, a low tracking error indicates more "passive" management.

10.33

Information ratio

This ratio serves to evaluate the quality of the excess return a fund manager has achieved because it takes the active risk involved into account. The information ratio is defined as the excess return over the benchmark return divided by the fund's tracking error. The higher the information ratio, the better. For example, a fund with a tracking error of 4% and an excess return of 2% over benchmark has an information ratio of 0.5, which is quite good.

0.32

Sharpe ratio

This ratio measures the risk-adjusted performance and allows the performance quality of different investments to be compared. It is calculated by subtracting the risk-free rate from the fund's returns and dividing the result by the fund's standard deviation (risk). So the Sharpe ratio tells us whether a fund's returns are the result of smart investment decisions or stem from taking extra risk. The higher the ratio, the better, meaning that a greater return is achieved per unit of risk. This ratio is named after its inventor, Nobel Laureate, William Sharpe.

0.45

Alpha (%)

Alpha measures the difference between a portfolio's actual return and its expected performance, given the level of risk, compared to the benchmark. A positive alpha figure indicates that the fund has performed better than expected, given the level of risk. Beta is used to calculate the level of risk compared to the benchmark..

1.97

Beta

Beta is a measure of a portfolio's volatility, or systematic risk, in comparison to the benchmark. A beta of 1 indicates that the portfolio will move with the benchmark. A beta of less than 1 means that the portfolio will be less volatile than the benchmark. A beta of more than 1 indicates that the portfolio will be more volatile than the benchmark. For example, if a portfolio's beta is 1.2 it is theoretically 20% more volatile than the benchmark.

1.25

Standard deviation

Standard deviation is a measure of the dispersion of a set of data from its mean. The more spread out the data is, the higher the deviation. In finance, standard deviation is applied to the annual rate of return of an investment to measure the investment's volatility (risk).

27.10

Max. monthly gain (%)

The maximum (i.e. highest) absolute positive monthly performance in the underlying period.

16.82

Max. monthly loss (%)

The maximum (i.e. highest) absolute negative monthly performance in the underlying period.

-18.11

Hit-ratio 3 years

Months out performance

Number of months in which the fund outperformed the benchmark in the underlying period.

17

Hit ratio (%)

This percentage indicates the number of months in which the fund outperformed in a given period.

47.2

Months Bull market

Number of months of positive benchmark performance in the underlying period.

22

Months outperformance Bull

Number of months in which the fund outperformed positive benchmark performance in the underlying period.

13

Hit ratio Bull (%)

This percentage indicates the number of months the fund outperformed a positive benchmark in an underlying period.

59.1

Months Bear market

Number of months of negative benchmark performance in the underlying period.

14

Months outperformance Bear

Number of months in which the fund outperformed negative benchmark performance in the underlying period.

4

Hit ratio Bear (%)

This percentage indicates the number of months the fund outperformed a negative benchmark performance in an underlying period.

28.6

Above mentioned ratios are based on gross of fees returns.

Costs

Per 28-02-2023
Cost of this fund Percentage

Ongoing charges

Indication of annual charges that are deducted for this fund. This indication is based on the costs over the last calendar year and may vary from year to year. Transaction costs incurred by the fund, any performance fees and other one-off costs are not included in the ongoing charges.

0.96%

Included management fee

A fee paid by the fund to the asset management company for the professional management of the fund.

0.75%

Included service fee

This fee is intended to cover official fees, such as the cost of annual reports, annual shareholders' meetings and price publications.

0.16%

Transaction costs

The transaction costs shown are the average annual transaction costs over the last three years calculated in accordance with European regulations.

0.06%

Fiscal product treatment

The fund is established in Luxembourg and is subject to the Luxembourg tax laws and regulations. The fund is not liable to pay any corporation, income, dividend or capital gains tax in Luxembourg. The fund is subject to an annual subscription tax ('tax d'abonnement') in Luxembourg, which amounts to 0.05% of the net asset value of the fund. This tax is included in the net asset value of the fund. The fund can in principle use the Luxembourg treaty network to partially recover any withholding tax on its income.

Fiscal treatment of investor

The fiscal consequences of investing in this fund depend on the investor's personal situation. For private investors in the Netherlands real interest and dividend income or capital gains received on their investments are not relevant for tax purposes. Each year investors pay income tax on the value of their net assets as at 1 January if and inasmuch as such net assets exceed the investor’s tax-free allowance. Any amount invested in the fund forms part of the investor's net assets. Private investors who are resident outside the Netherlands will not be taxed in the Netherlands on their investments in the fund. However, such investors may be taxed in their country of residence on any income from an investment in this fund based on the applicable national fiscal laws. Other fiscal rules apply to legal entities or professional investors. We advise investors to consult their financial or tax adviser about the tax consequences of an investment in this fund in their specific circumstances before deciding to invest in the fund.

Performance
Price development
Statistics
Cost of this fund
Fiscal: product
Fiscal: investor

Fund allocation

Asset

Currency

Sector

Top 10

  • Asset
  • Currency
  • Sector
  • Top 10
Per 28-02-2023

Policies

  • The fund is allowed to pursue an active currency policy to generate extra returns and can engage in currency hedging transactions.

  • In principle the fund does not intend to distribute dividend and so both the income earned by the fund and its overall performance are reflected in its share price.

  • RobecoSAM Smart Materials Equities is an actively managed fund that invests globally in companies that provide innovative materials and process technologies. The selection of these stocks is based on fundamental analysis. The fund has sustainable investment as its objective within the meaning of Article 9 of the European Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. The fund fosters solutions to reduce resource intensity in the economy by investing in more efficient, scalable materials that have lower emissions over the lifetime, mainly investing in companies that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Responsible Consumption and Production and Climate Action. The fund integrates ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors in the investment process and applies Robeco’s Good Governance policy. The fund applies sustainability indicators, including but not limited to, normative, activity-based and region-based exclusions, and proxy voting. The fund's aim is also to achieve a better return than the index. The strategy integrates sustainability criteria as part of the stock selection process and through a theme-specific sustainability assessment. The portfolio is built on the basis of an eligible investment universe that includes companies whose business models contribute to the thematic investment objectives. The assessment regarding relevant SDGs uses an internally developed framework, more information on which can be obtained at www.robeco.com/si. Benchmark: MSCI World Index TRN. The majority of stocks selected will be components of the benchmark, but stocks outside the benchmark may be selected too. While the investment policy is not constrained by a benchmark, the fund may use one for comparison purposes. The fund can deviate substantially from the issuer, country and sector weightings of the benchmark. There are no restrictions on the deviation from the benchmark. The benchmark is a broad market-weighted index that is not consistent with the sustainable objective of the fund.

  • Risk management is fully integrated into the investment process to ensure that positions always meet predefined guidelines.

Fund allocation
Policies

Sustainability-related disclosures

Full sustainability-related disclosures
Download full report
Summary sustainability-related disclosures
Download summary

Labels

Febelfin

Febelfin

The fact that the sub-fund has obtained this label does not mean that it meets your personal sustainability goals or that the label is in line with requirements arising from any future national or European rules. The label obtained is valid for one year and subject to annual reappraisal. More information on this label.

Sustainability profile

Per 28-02-2023
Exclusions +
ESG Integration
Voting
Target Universe

Sustainability

Per 28-02-2023

The fund's sustainable investment objective is to help mitigate the resource scarcity challenge within industries while supporting economic growth. Resource scarcity and sustainability considerations are incorporated in the investment process by the means of a target universe definition, exclusions, ESG integration, a carbon footprint target and voting. The fund only invests in companies that have a significant thematic fit as per Robeco's thematic universe methodology. Through screening on both Robeco's internally developed SDG Framework and Robeco’s exclusion policy, the fund does not invest in issuers that have a negative impact on the SDGs, are in breach of international norms or where products have been deemed controversial. Financially material ESG factors are integrated in the bottom-up fundamental investment analysis to assess existing and potential ESG risks and opportunities. The fund's weighted carbon footprint will be equal to or better than that of its Climate Transition Benchmark. In addition, where a stock issuer is flagged for breaching international standards in the ongoing monitoring, the issuer will become subject to exclusion. Lastly, the fund makes use of shareholder rights and applies proxy voting in accordance with Robeco's proxy voting policy.

Information
Profile
Sustainability

Market development

Per 28-02-2023

In February, the strongest performance came from Smart Manufacturing, where Robotics and Lasers as well as Automation and Process Control benefited from positive earnings, while Software was below average. Advanced Materials, where we saw Functional Materials outperforming, was weaker. Process Technologies was mostly weaker, with Recycling outperforming. Transformational Materials was below average, Efficient Lighting outperformed on OLED companies, and Energy Storage Materials was weaker.

Performance explanation

Per 28-02-2023

Based on transaction prices, the fund's return was -3.05%. The Advanced Materials cluster had a slightly weak performance, which was to a large extent driven by the weaker performance of the Strategic and Specialty Metals sub-cluster. Boliden, a Swedish metals and mining company, saw its share price decline by 5% following 22Q4 results that were weaker than expected on operating earnings, but a beat on FCF and dividend. Efficient Building Materials had a flat performance, but was very mixed on an underlying basis. Smart Manufacturing was the strongest cluster in February. Robotics and Lasers companies with higher exposure to the Chinese reopening, like IPG Photonics and Yaskawa, outperformed over the month. Process Technology was the weakest cluster in February. The negative performance was driven by the pullback of January's top performers National Instruments (Analytical Instruments), Befesa (Circular Systems) and Plug Power (Cleaner Industrial Solutions). On the positive side, waste-to-product company Renewi (Recycling & Disposal) was up, following better-than-expected results and consensus estimates upgrades.

Expectation of fund manager

Pieter Busscher CFA

Strong secular growth themes related to decreased emissions (net zero targets) and more efficient materials and production techniques (e.g. smart manufacturing) are impacting their respective sectors. More specifically, efficient building materials, 3D software, the Internet of Things and robotics companies are presenting attractive investment opportunities. In the Recycling and Circular Systems investment cluster, which focuses on reusing, recycling and repurposing plastics, attractive opportunities are leading to more circular business models.

Market development
Performance explanation
Expectation of fund manager

Fund documents

  • Factsheet
  • Product sheet
  • Portfolio Manager's Update
  • Prospectus
  • Articles of association
  • Key Information Document (PRIIP)
  • Full sustainability-related disclosures
  • Summary sustainability-related disclosures

(Semi) annual reports

  • Annual report 2021
  • Annual report 2020
  • Annual report 2019
  • Semi-annual report 2022
  • Semi-annual report 2021
  • Semi-annual report 2020

Announcements

  • Publication Semi-annual reports 2022 (31-08-2022)
  • Semi-annual 2021 available (31-08-2021)
Fund documents
Reports
Announcements

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