BT Panorama is set to surpass $15 billion in funds under administration with a 75 per cent increase in netflows since it introduced simple open platform pricing in July last year. The firm’s FUA were up by $3.6 billion, an increase of 32 per cent, while netflows grew between August to December to $814 million from $466 million. BT Panorama also increased its number of active advisers by 35 per cent, while customer accounts grew by 33 per cent.

The company noted it is now experiencing quarterly and annual FUA growth of 15 per cent and 85 per cent respectively. BT Panorama saw quarterly and annual netflows of 30 per cent while other platforms with positive netflows fell from the June quarter. Kathy Vincent, general manager, Platforms and Investments at BT Financial Group said the firm opening up its pricing has been a game-changer.

The rest of this article can be found at investordaily.com.au.

Ausbil Investment Management have launched a fund specifically designed to meet the growing demand for sustainable investments. The Ausbil Active Sustainable Equity Fund invests in companies which have sound sustainability profiles while avoiding companies that are vulnerable to earnings risk due to sustainability weaknesses. The fund will hold between 30 and 45 stocks selected from the S&P/ASX 200 index and will make decisions based on the Ausbil ESG research team.

Australia’s competition watchdog is proposing to accept an application for a certification trademark that signals to potential investors that a fund manager or financial institution’s investments by a fund manager or financial institution are ‘tobacco free’. Tobacco Free Portfolios, which maintains a list of businesses involved in the manufacture of tobacco products, has applied to register the Tobacco Free certification trademark. The trademark has three variations, which indicate that the fund manager, or financial institution, does not have direct or indirect investments in companies involved in the manufacture of tobacco products, or the fund manager has committed to divesting any such tobacco holdings within two years.

Financial industry heavyweights have called on governments and businesses worldwide to step up climate change efforts. A group of 415 investors who collectively manage assets worth US$32 trillion have called on governments to take stronger actions to meet goals as set out in the Paris climate agreement. The statement from the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change was first launched in June ahead of the G7 summit in Canada but has been reissued to coincide with the current negotiations happening in Poland.