The Thematic Revolution
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We aim to design financially attractive thematic strategies which capitalize on the secular shifts pertaining to demographic, technological innovation, globalisation and resource scarcity trends."
With your third anniversary and a growing aum to €4bn*, run us through the story of your development.
In 2018, we launched our first thematic investment strategies related to the AI & Robotics, Safety, Water themes ; we also launched our Meta strategy as an all-in-one solution. Since then, we have developed three other strategies related to the Subscription Economy, Wellness and Consumer themes. We began with just six people and now have a total of 21 employees, including 12 portfolio managers**. Our aim is to target secular growth themes in the market and in order to do that, we are highly focused. Each fund is managed by a team of experts with in-depth knowledge of their areas. We adopt a high-conviction investment approach with no constraints on where we can invest, both geographically and in terms of sectors and market capitalisation scale.
A responsible approach was also built into the firm’s DNA from the start. We believe that integrating ESG criteria to our investment processes is key to fully understand how companies are doing regarding the wide range of risks and opportunities posed by the environmental, social and governance factors.*
How has the market for thematic investing changed?
I started to market thematic equities 10 years ago. At that time, thematic equities were a way to bring diversification to portfolios. But in the last two or three years, it has gained in prominence in clients’ portfolios as they understand the benefits of a global, unconstrained approach and are keen to move secular growth themes to the core of their allocations. It clearly appears that investors today want to invest with purpose.
Investing in global equities using a thematic lens allows them to better grasp what they are actually gaining exposure to, and to also serve a purpose besides financial returns.
What are some of the newest themes you have introduced into the firm’s range?
We constantly look for new secular growth themes. In December 2019, we launched an innovative solution related to the Subscription Economy theme, which invests in companies providing a product or service via a subscription model, be that on a B2C or B2B basis. Our first attraction to this market segment was based on the visibility of earnings these companies enjoy. The Covid crisis gave us an opportunity to observe the exceptional resilience of these businesses. When most companies had lost part of their revenues, they were still able to have a view on a very large proportion of their revenues and to continue to invest in their growth*.
In 2018, we launched our first thematic investment strategies related to the AI & Robotics, Safety, Water themes ; we also launched our Meta strategy as an all-in-one solution. Since then, we have developed three other strategies related to the Subscription Economy, Wellness and Consumer themes. We began with just six people and now have a total of 21 employees, including 12 portfolio managers**. Our aim is to target secular growth themes in the market and in order to do that, we are highly focused. Each fund is managed by a team of experts with in-depth knowledge of their areas. We adopt a high-conviction investment approach with no constraints on where we can invest, both geographically and in terms of sectors and market capitalisation scale.
A responsible approach was also built into the firm’s DNA from the start. We believe that integrating ESG criteria to our investment processes is key to fully understand how companies are doing regarding the wide range of risks and opportunities posed by the environmental, social and governance factors.*
How has the market for thematic investing changed?
I started to market thematic equities 10 years ago. At that time, thematic equities were a way to bring diversification to portfolios. But in the last two or three years, it has gained in prominence in clients’ portfolios as they understand the benefits of a global, unconstrained approach and are keen to move secular growth themes to the core of their allocations. It clearly appears that investors today want to invest with purpose.
Investing in global equities using a thematic lens allows them to better grasp what they are actually gaining exposure to, and to also serve a purpose besides financial returns.
What are some of the newest themes you have introduced into the firm’s range?
We constantly look for new secular growth themes. In December 2019, we launched an innovative solution related to the Subscription Economy theme, which invests in companies providing a product or service via a subscription model, be that on a B2C or B2B basis. Our first attraction to this market segment was based on the visibility of earnings these companies enjoy. The Covid crisis gave us an opportunity to observe the exceptional resilience of these businesses. When most companies had lost part of their revenues, they were still able to have a view on a very large proportion of their revenues and to continue to invest in their growth*.
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** Source: Thematics Asset Management as of April 1, 2022.
THEMATICS ASSET MANAGEMENT : an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers. A French SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) with a share capital of €191 440. RCS Paris: 843 939 992. Regulated by the AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers), under no GP 19000027. 20 rue des Capucines 75002 Paris, France.
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