Guinness Sustainable Energy Fund

The Guinness Sustainable Energy strategy is positioned to benefit from the many opportunities associated with the sustainable energy transition. We identify four sub-sectors and have assembled a proprietary investment universe of around 200 companies with critical mass that are most directly exposed to them:

• Displacement: displacement or more efficient usage of hydrocarbon-based energy
• Electrification: the switching of hydrocarbon-based fuel demand towards electricity, especially for electric vehicles
• Installation: the manufacture of equipment for the generation and consumption of sustainable energy
• Generation: the production of sustainable energy, either pureplay companies or those transitioning from hydrocarbon-based fuels

We conduct rigorous independent analysis of the fundamental drivers of sustainable energy markets: energy commodity prices; sustainable energy technology research and development; installation and equipment prices; political and economic support for the sector; government and private sector demand. This allows us to form a top-down view, which in turn informs our industry energy sub-sector allocation.

The team operates a disciplined stock screening process. We review our investment universe each week to identify companies which look attractive on return on investment, valuation, earnings sentiment and price momentum. We also use sub-sector specific screens. Ideas generated by screening are then subjected to due diligence centred around detailed financial modelling.

The portfolio comprises around 30 equally weighted positions. This portfolio construction is designed to create a balance between maintaining fund concentration and managing stock-specific risk, and there is no reference to the benchmark. The portfolio is liquid, with 90% of the Fund normally invested in companies with a market capitalisation over US $500 million.