Amundi has entered Europe’s active ETF market with a suite of equity and fixed income strategies which comply with new French socially responsible investing (SRI) criteria, ETF Stream can reveal.
The six ETFs are listed on Euronext Paris with the following total expense ratios (TERs):
Amundi Label ISR Actions Europe UCITS ETF (ISRA) – 0.20%
Amundi Label ISR Actions USA UCITS ETF (ISRU) – 0.20%
Amundi Label ISR Actions Japon UCITS ETF (ISRJ) – 0.22%
Amundi Label ISR Actions Monde UCITS ETF (ISRM) – 0.20%
Amundi Label ISR Credit EUR UCITS ETF (ISRC) – 0.25%
Amundi Label ISR Credit USD UCITS ETF (ISRD) – 0.25%
Euro hedged iterations of ISRU, ISRJ and ISCH also listed with TERs from 0.22-0.27%.
An Amundi spokesperson told ETF Stream the range was developed to help French investors comply with new criteria under the French Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Investissement Socialement Responsible (ISR) label.
According to Societe Generale Private Banking, ISR requires funds to define their objectives, their ESG methodology for analysing their underlying, their approach to portfolio management based on extra-financial criteria, how they actively engage, report to investors and communicate the impact of their approach.
“These funds will follow strategies with an active approach, allowing them to quickly adapt to regulatory changes in particular,” an Amundi spokesperson said.
Benoit Sorel (pictured), global head of ETFs at Amundi, commented: “True to its commitment to support its clients on the path to responsible investment, Amundi constantly adapts its range of solutions to respond to market developments.
These launches are a perfect illustration of this. Amundi clients can now access new SRI-labeled ETFs, allowing them to build diversified portfolios aligned with their objectives.”
The firm added its new suite “completes” its range of SRI ETFs.
Their arrival comes half a year after Sorel told ETF Stream Amundi would not be forced into launching ETFs “because everyone is going there”.
With regulators yet to be swayed on the ESG credentials and potential impact of passive funds, it remains to be seen whether similar strategies might launch for UK ETF investors to comply with the still-developing Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR).
