Key Takeaways
- • Man GLG launches Man GLG RI Global Sustainable Growth Alternative, a new Article 8 UCITS long/short equity hedge fund targeting absolute returns with a positive ESG bias across global markets and sectors.
- • The fund deploys a high-conviction long portfolio of 25-45 stocks combined with a short book designed to hedge market and factor risk while generating alpha; long positions are segmented into core holdings (long-term, leading ESG companies) and second-tier stocks.
- • Portfolio management team led by Rory Powe (who manages over $3 billion in European equities) alongside co-portfolio managers Virginia Nordback and Ikitsa Anastasov, supported by four dedicated analysts leveraging Man Group's broader ESG expertise.
- • Fund positions will be selected based on UN Sustainable Development Goals alignment and sustainability priorities, betting that strongest companies and stakeholders increasingly gravitate toward sustainable businesses.
- • Man GLG, the discretionary investing unit of London-listed Man Group (which manages $228.7 billion in assets as of March 31, 2023), extends its sustainability-focused investment offerings with this long/short vehicle classified under EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.
Summary
Man GLG, the discretionary investing division of global alternative investment manager Man Group, has unveiled Man GLG RI Global Sustainable Growth Alternative, a new long/short equity hedge fund structured as an Article 8 product under the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR). The strategy targets absolute returns while maintaining a positive ESG bias across global regions and sectors, combining conviction-driven stock selection with hedging mechanisms designed to protect capital in volatile market conditions.
The fund's portfolio architecture consists of two primary components: a high-conviction long book of 25-45 stocks divided between core positions (long-term holdings in companies with leading ESG credentials) and second-tier positions, paired with a short portfolio constructed to hedge market and factor risk while simultaneously enhancing alpha generation from the long positions. This dual-book approach reflects the fund's ambition to deliver returns across varying market environments rather than relying solely on directional equity exposure.
Lead portfolio manager Rory Powe, who currently oversees more than $3 billion in European equities, will manage the strategy alongside co-portfolio managers Virginia Nordback and Ikitsa Anastasov, with support from a four-person analyst team. The management group will draw on Man Group's broader ESG expertise to identify investment opportunities, focusing on companies that prioritize sustainability and demonstrate positive impact alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. According to Powe, "In a changing world, we believe the strongest companies will prioritise sustainability, and that customers, talent and shareholders will gravitate to sustainable businesses." The fund leverages this conviction to identify the highest-quality sustainable enterprises globally while using short positions to underpin downside protection and enhance overall risk-adjusted returns.
This launch expands Man GLG's sustainability-focused product suite, following the firm's existing long-only RI Global Sustainable Growth fund, which Powe and Nordback already co-manage. Man Group, the world's largest publicly-listed hedge fund manager with $228.7 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2023, continues its strategic positioning in the ESG-focused alternative investment space, signaling sustained institutional demand for sustainable investing strategies that combine impact considerations with absolute return objectives.
The fund's portfolio architecture consists of two primary components: a high-conviction long book of 25-45 stocks divided between core positions (long-term holdings in companies with leading ESG credentials) and second-tier positions, paired with a short portfolio constructed to hedge market and factor risk while simultaneously enhancing alpha generation from the long positions. This dual-book approach reflects the fund's ambition to deliver returns across varying market environments rather than relying solely on directional equity exposure.
Lead portfolio manager Rory Powe, who currently oversees more than $3 billion in European equities, will manage the strategy alongside co-portfolio managers Virginia Nordback and Ikitsa Anastasov, with support from a four-person analyst team. The management group will draw on Man Group's broader ESG expertise to identify investment opportunities, focusing on companies that prioritize sustainability and demonstrate positive impact alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. According to Powe, "In a changing world, we believe the strongest companies will prioritise sustainability, and that customers, talent and shareholders will gravitate to sustainable businesses." The fund leverages this conviction to identify the highest-quality sustainable enterprises globally while using short positions to underpin downside protection and enhance overall risk-adjusted returns.
This launch expands Man GLG's sustainability-focused product suite, following the firm's existing long-only RI Global Sustainable Growth fund, which Powe and Nordback already co-manage. Man Group, the world's largest publicly-listed hedge fund manager with $228.7 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2023, continues its strategic positioning in the ESG-focused alternative investment space, signaling sustained institutional demand for sustainable investing strategies that combine impact considerations with absolute return objectives.
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