Our approach
Watch this three-minute video to hear David Cumming, Chief Investment Officer, Equities, explain the benefits of being active investors without style constraint in today's climate. He also describes how we integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations in to our investment approach and what he believes makes us different.
Active, fundamental and responsible
Our integrated and disciplined investment process provides the framework and confidence for portfolios to have high active shares. We use our access to company management to gain an information advantage, driving non-consensus views. In contrast to ETF and passive investors, we direct our resource towards fundamental analysis and being on the right side of change.
ESG is a core, integrated input into our investment process. We actively assess individual company ESG performance and risk factors. In conjunction with our Global Responsible Investment (GRI) team we continually engage with companies to promote positive change and monitor the long-term value of our investments.
Benefits
Our investment advantage.
Connected thinking
A common investment language embedded across all regions and sectors facilitates the delivery of sharp and effective connected thinking. Enhanced by direct company contact and integrated information flows from GRI, macro, multi-asset, credit teams, our process ensures all relevant investment information is surfaced when making each stock selection decision.
Key risks
For further information on the risks and risk profiles of our funds, please refer to the relevant KIID and Prospectus.
The value of an investment and any income from it can go down as well as up and can fluctuate in response to changes in currency and exchange rates. Investors may not get back the original amount invested.
A globally integrated team with extensive experience
David Cumming
Chief Investment Officer, Equities and Head of UK Equities
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Mikhail Zverev
Head of Global Equities
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Susan Schmidt
Head of US Equities
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Frédéric Tassin
Head of Pan-European Equities
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Francois de Bruin
Fund Manager, Sustainable Income & Growth and Head of Listed Real Estate
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Alistair Way
Head of Global Emerging Market Equities
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Need more information?
For further information, please contact our investment sales team.
Equities views
Our annual letter to company chairpersons
15 Jan 2021
As part of our engagement efforts, every January we send a letter to the chairs of companies we invest in (and some we don’t, but still want to use our influence with) to set out our stewardship priorities for the year. Here, in full, is our 2021 letter.
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Issuance, support from equities and volatility: The outlook for convertible bonds in 2021
18 Dec 2020
Shawn Mato, convertible bond fund manager, picks three themes that could have a big say in how the asset class performs in 2021.
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Recovery, divergence and externalities: The outlook for global equities in 2021
15 Dec 2020
Giles Parkinson, global equities portfolio manager at Aviva Investors, looks at three themes that will shape the asset class in 2021.
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Reversal of fortunes, Brexit and dividends: The outlook for UK equities in 2021
11 Dec 2020
Trevor Green, UK equity portfolio manager at Aviva Investors, picks three themes that could have a big say in how the asset class performs in 2021.
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Selectivity, sanctions and decarbonisation: The outlook for emerging market equities in 2021
11 Dec 2020
Alistair Way, head of emerging market equities at Aviva Investors, looks at three themes that will shape the asset class in 2021.
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COVID, climate and Black Lives Matter: The stories that defined 2020
10 Dec 2020
We select some of our key pieces of content in a year of unending drama.
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Chemical compounds: The good, the bad and the ugly
9 Dec 2020
After decades of secrecy, light is increasingly being shone on the potentially hazardous compounds produced by chemical companies. In the latest instalment of our editorial series, Link, experts from Aviva Investors’ credit, equities and ESG teams discuss the prevalence of chemicals in modern life, and how to balance usefulness and safety.
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Pricing power is the magic ingredient for equity investors
27 Nov 2020
Evidence that a company wields pricing power in its industry is the best indication of a sustainable competitive advantage, argues Giles Parkinson.
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Once bitten, twice shy: Is there value in tech by avoiding the FAANGs?
30 Oct 2020
The gravity-defying rally in technology shares has led some commentators to draw comparisons with the dot.com bubble of the late 1990s. However, Mikhail Zverev and Alistair Way believe there are still opportunities to be found in some of the sector’s less-fashionable stocks.
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US Election 2020: Expect the unexpected
29 Oct 2020
As the US presidential election looms, we explore potential scenarios – from a Democratic “blue sweep” to a Trump re-election to a divided government – and assess the implications for investors.
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Turn and face the change: How to invest dynamically in an uncertain world
21 Oct 2020
Equity markets are slow to price in the implications of change. This creates opportunities for dynamic, style-agnostic investors to take advantage, argue Caroline Galligan and David Cumming.
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Don’t feed the troll: Social media companies face reckoning over hate speech
28 Sep 2020
Facebook, Twitter and other platforms are drawing criticism for their failure to tackle hate content. But will the hit to their reputation do any lasting commercial damage?
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Investing in the gut: Fixing the bacterial bugs in our microbiome
21 Sep 2020
COVID-19 has intensified interest in the human microbiome, as researchers contemplate whether bacteria living in the gut might affect susceptibility to infection. Drawing on our experience in public markets and Ahren Innovation Capital’s knowledge of private markets, we look at the companies making strides in live biotherapeutics, using ‘bugs as drugs’, and key challenges that need to be overcome.
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Why limit yourself? The benefits of style-agnostic investing
16 Sep 2020
Investors wanting to consistently exploit market inefficiencies should leave style biases behind, argues Mikhail Zverev.
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Out with the old: Why income investors must be on the right side of change
2 Sep 2020
It has been a difficult year for income investing, as many companies have announced cuts or suspensions to dividends. But there are opportunities for investors willing to do some digging to find resilient businesses, says Richard Saldanha.
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The clockmaker and the longitude problem: A lesson for investors in bottom-up problem solving
25 Aug 2020
Bottom-up thinking is not a typical hallmark of multi-asset investing. However, Francois de Bruin believes the granularity that comes from this approach offers useful diversification and risk benefits.
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