RobecoSAM Global Gender Equality Impact Equities IB EUR

The global equities market moved higher, driven by continuing vaccine rollout, strengthening economic activity and strong corporate earnings. In the US, more than 50% of the adult population has received at least one vaccine dose, while India and Brazil have seen their Covid-19 cases surging. The Fed maintained its current monetary policy, made no change in the tapering of asset purchases and looked through near-term spikes in inflation. US personal income in March rose strongly, reflecting the effect of the stimulus checks. Consumer spending was solid, with Q1 2021 real GDP coming in at a strong 6.4% annualized growth, which accelerated from 4.3% in Q4 2020. The Q1 earnings season was solid. Corporates gave confirmation of profit growth, but investors' surprises and follow-through reactions were muted, indicating much of the expectation has been priced in. During the month, communication services and real estate performed best, while energy lagged. On the gender equality front, it will take 267 years to close the economic gender gap, which is sobering news but also an opportunity to accelerate change.

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 Gender Equality Impact Equities invest in companies that are leading with regard to the promotion of gender equality. It employs systematic, bottom-up stock selection that combines proprietary Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) data and research throughout the investment process. ESG criteria for exclusions and fund-specific suitability are applied during universe construction. An in-house Sustainability Investing (SI) research team integrates financially-material sector and company-specific sustainability analysis into investment cases. A dedicated thematic equity team incorporate SI research within fundamental analysis and stock valuations. Impact assessments of controversial incidences affecting portfolio holdings provide additional risk management. An active ownership and engagement team interacts directly with company management of fund holdings, offering additional channels for sustainable impact.

RobecoSAM Global Gender Equality Impact Equities Strategy is an actively managed fund that invests globally in companies that are leaders in promoting gender diversity and equality. The selection of these stocks is based on fundamental analysis. The fund's objective is to achieve a better return than the index. The fund has sustainable investment as its objective within the meaning of Article 9 of the European Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. The fund aims to create a positive societal impact by investing in companies that exhibit a high degree of gender equality and that actively promote gender equality. The fund integrates ESG (i.e. Environmental, Social and corporate Governance) in the investment process, applies an exclusion list basis controversial behavior, products (including controversial weapons, tobacco, palm oil and fossil fuel) while avoiding investment in thermal coal, weapons, military contracting and companies that severely violate labor conditions, next to voting and engaging.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 the eligible investment universe that includes companies with superior Gender Scores. The internally developed Gender Score comprises various criteria, such as board diversity, equal renumeration, talent management or employee well-being. Companies that exhibit an inferior overall ESG assessment are exluced from the investent universe.The majority of stocks selected will be components of the Benchmark, but stocks outside the Benchmark may be selected too. The investment policy is not constrained by a benchmark but the fund may use a benchmark 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.