Our Social Responsibility
Analysing and monitoring our investments
We believe that good governance and socially responsible investing are crucial to maximising performance for our clients.
So we work closely with the directors of companies we invest in, supporting their best practice and offering advice and guidance when appropriate.
Why is a company's governance so important to us?
We believe that well-governed companies outperform the market over time. That's why analysing how companies are run - including their social, ethical and environmental policies - forms such an important part of our decision-making.
How do we monitor a company's governance?
We analyse a range of governance and responsible investment factors as an integral part of our fundamental research.
We rate companies with our own internal governance ratings, based on how well they conform to our best-practice principles. And we monitor how much each company's structure changes against our year-on-year targets.
When structural change is slow we take into account that, in some cases, the ongoing intention to reform still represents a valuable change in the company's behaviour.
Who carries out the research?
Our Governance and Responsible Investment team, external and internal analysts, and fund managers all contribute to assessing how well a company is run.
Ongoing company profiles are prepared by the highest quality specialists. We choose these advisers because their focus on the financial opportunities and risks presented by companies' Governance and Responsible Investment profiles naturally complements our stock review process.
A commitment to good causes
We work closely with a number of charities as part of our commitment to social responsibility and the wider community. Threadneedle has a dedicated committee that organises events and initiatives to help our nominated charities raise funds and improve their profile. The Red Cross, the WWF and the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children are among the good causes we have been pleased to assist.