Investments

Maitri Asset Management Launches A Sustainable Liquid Income Fund

Maitri Asset Management Pte. Ltd. (Maitri), a Singapore-based, active responsible investment management firm, has announced the launch of its Sustainable Liquid Income Fund (“S.LIQ”) – the second fund in its portfolio.

Anchored in Maitri’s responsible investment principles, the long-only fund will invest in short duration USD denominated bonds issued by corporates and sovereigns from across the globe, the firm said in a press release.

Actively managed by Chief Investment Officer, Ankit Khandelwal, the fund will aim to generate alpha over bank deposit rates by taking on liquid credit risk and incorporating a daily redemption feature, making it very attractive for cash management purposes for corporate and institutional investors. While the rating of Maitri’s overall portfolio will be investment grade, the S.LIQ will also be able to invest in high yield securities. The fund has already gathered more than USD50 million in assets.

Manish Tibrewal, Chief Executive Officer, Maitri, said: “We are thrilled to be adding another fund to our portfolio and marking a new milestone in Maitri’s responsible investment journey. The S.LIQ is testament to our belief in integrating ESG considerations into all our investment decisions and demonstrates that robust returns can be delivered responsibly and sustainably. We have been running the fund as a pilot over the past year, allowing us to incorporate learnings from our continued sustainable investment efforts, as well as navigating pandemic-related volatility. With our single-family office heritage, we are committed to sustainable finance stewardship while placing an emphasis on patient capital and long-term wealth preservation for future generations.”

Aligned with Maitri’s two-tiered Responsible Investment Approach (RI Approach), the S.LIQ will screen all investments against six negative sectors and apply a proprietary ESG-integrated investment framework. The latter constitutes a thermal coal exclusion; performing ESG due diligence for investments in sectors and companies with high ESG-related risk scores; ongoing monitoring of ESG controversies; and an engagement and corporate voting policy.

Ankit Khandelwal, Chief Investment Officer, Maitri, said: “As global interest in ESG investing grows, we are proud to put ESG-integration at the forefront of our investment strategy. Through our new fund, we look forward to delivering long-term value creation to corporate and institutional investors by identifying premier sustainable investment opportunities.”