Schroders courts consulenti with private equity fund

ITALY: Schroders is launching its first European long-term investment fund (Eltif). The firm will launch the Schroders Capital Private Equity Eltif 2023, a product designed for retail investors, in Italy at the start of 2023.

‘The difficult socioeconomic context we are experiencing represents a further push towards the democratisation of private markets. Eltifs are, in our opinion, the easiest way to access them for individual investors who are starting to show some interest,’ said Luca Tenani, Schroders’ country head for Italy.

‘Our study shows that 86% of Italian investors would consider the possibility of investing in private assets through an Eltif if this solution were proposed by a financial advisor, who is able to give them greater security in using an instrument that invests in such a sophisticated environment.’

The Eltif provides access to transactions which are usually intended for institutional investors, favouring portfolio diversification. Classified as Article 8 under the SFDR, Schroders Capital Private Equity Eltif 2023, must commit to engage directly with private companies on environmental and social issues. Citywire Italia

Fundsmith targets Italy with European distribution deal

ITALY: Fundsmith, the group responsible for some of the UK’s most sought-after funds, has agreed a deal to give it distribution in Europe, particularly Italy.

The deal is an extension of an existing agreement with FundRock Management Company, a third-party Ucits management company and alternative investment fund manager. Additionally, FundRock Distribution will provide distribution services, enabling Fundsmith to distribute its funds in Europe, including to the Italian market.

FundRock has an established network of more than 200 experts in Luxembourg, the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Abu Dhabi and Singapore, including in its recently opened office in Amsterdam.

In a list of the top 10 best-selling funds in September by UK retail fund platform Interactive Investor, FundSmith Equity ranked top, and was the only active fund on the list.

ABN Amro offers due diligence tech to clients

FRANCE: ABN Amro Investment Solutions is offering its in-house digital platform, Deeligenz, to clients in a move it claims will improve due diligence.

Developed in partnership with French fintech company Deecision, the platform was first created and tested internally three years ago. It was a response to the lack of a suitable platform consistent with the firm’s subadvisory business. The platform was recently deemed ‘mature enough’ for the market.

Deeligenz is designed to help managers and fund selectors minimise operational and regulatory risks through more secure and efficient data analysis.

It aims to address emerging risks and topics when needed and facilitates auditing and reporting between teams while automating repetitive tasks.

Some of its key features include a built-in decision-making framework and a comprehensive ESG component integrated into the platform to help identify pure ESG performers.

The platform is also intended to mitigate challenges such as cybersecurity, anti-money-laundering and ESG issues.