Evli Leveraged Loan

The fund’s investment objective is to achieve a predictable and steady cash flow for investors in the form of fixed income returns and value increase in investment instruments when it is appropriate.

The fund’s return target in the long term is on average the 3-month Euribor plus 4–5% per annum.

The fund’s return expectation and risk are generally higher than the return expectation and risk of funds that invest solely in government bonds.

The fund’s investments carry a credit risk

Credit risk arises from the loan issuer’s ability to pay the loan interest and the loan principal on the due date. In the fund’s investments the credit loss risk arising from individual issuers is reduced by diversifying the investments among various borrowers. The risk premium (credit margin) required by investors varies during the loan’s exercise period, due to the influence of market conditions and issuer-specific factors. When credit risk increases, the values of the loans in the portfolio will decrease and vice versa. Lower credit-rated high yield bonds, in particular, are subject to a substantial credit risk.

The fund’s value is affected by interest rate risk

Interest rate risk can be measured with the average remaining exercise period (duration) of investments. Interest rate risk describes the fund’s sensitivity in relation to interest rate variations.

The interest rate risk associated with the fund’s investments is limited because the fund invests mainly in floating-rate instruments, which have a low interest rate risk.

Market sentiment was improving in April, as the worst concerns relating to the banking sectors of the United States and Europe were gradually disappearing. However, Nordic leveraged loan and high yield bond primary markets remained relatively muted.

The fund’s deployment percentage declined in April due to the new subscriptions made into the fund in March. The fund executed one new investment into a high yield bond instrument (building installation and service, Sweden). Otherwise, the investment portfolio remained unchanged (excl. the temporarily higher cash balance in the fund). The value development of the fund was positive in April, and the credit quality of the investment portfolio remained strong. Higher underlying short-term benchmark rates gradually come through to fund’s investments as soon as new rate-fixings are set. All investments of the fund are bound into floating short-term reference rates.

The outlook of the fund’s investment activity should remain positive due to rising short-term rates, re-pricing of risk in the primary markets and attractive investment opportunities in the secondary markets. Furthermore, we expect the general market activity to pick up ahead of summer holiday season, in terms of both new M&A and refinancing activity.

Financial product’s sustainability information in accordance with EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) 2019/2088 (sustainability‐related disclosures in the financial services sector). This is a financial product in accordance with Article 8 of the SFDR.

Publication date: March 1, 2023
Legal Entity Identifier: 743700PPUYNVX34MFA28

a) Summary

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This financial product promotes environmental or social characteristics, but does not have as its objective sustainable investment.

Environmental and social characteristics are promoted by observing Evli’s Principles for Responsible Investment, Climate Change Principles and climate targets, and by requiring that target companies observe good governance practices. The fund excludes harmful industries on the basis of Evli’s responsibility principles and Climate Change Principles. In addition, target companies are monitored regularly to ensure they have not violated the norms of specific international treaties and principles.

The fund promotes climate change mitigation in accordance with Evli’s climate targets: the fund’s carbon footprint and emission indicators are measured and monitored, and a regular scenario analysis is conducted to monitor the attainment of Evli’s general climate targets. Evli’s goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest, and it has set an interim target of a 50 percent reduction in indirect emissions from all investments by 2030, provided that this is possible in the investment environment. The comparison year is 2019. The fund-specific share of the emission reduction target may vary between funds.

Investment targets are monitored regularly, and efforts are made to engage with companies to influence their practices. Evli can engage with companies either independently or together with other investors. The themes of Evli’s engagement are climate change mitigation, respect for human rights, anti-corruption measures, taking environmental issues into consideration, factors related to good governance and the reporting of responsibility factors. Evli’s Responsible Investment Policy and Corporate Governance Principles set the framework for Evli’s engagement and conduct in the event of perceived breaches of the Code.

The fund’s target companies are analyzed before an investment decision is made and at regular intervals during the investment period with regard to environmental, social and corporate governance matters, or ESG factors. ESG factors are integrated into the analysis of target companies and their selection for investment by the fund. Evli has built an internal ESG database based on data produced by external service providers, which it uses to monitor ESG factors.

The achievement of the environmental or social characteristics promoted by the financial product is monitored and reported through the target companies’ carbon intensity trend and commitment to emission reduction targets, as well as through the number of target companies that have not committed serious norm violations.

Sustainability indicators are monitored through Evli’s internal ESG database. The data is based on data provided by external service providers, which is not verified by a third party. The completeness of the data is reported in conjunction with the sustainability indicators. All active investments of the fund promote environmental and social characteristics by observing Evli’s Principles for Responsible Investment and Climate Change Principles, and completeness of data has no impact on observance of the above-mentioned principles.

The fund does not have an official benchmark index.

b) No sustainable investment objective

This financial product promotes environmental or social characteristics, but does not have as its objective sustainable investment.

c) Environmental or social characteristics of the financial product

In addition to other characteristics, the fund promotes environmental and social characteristics by observing Evli’s Principles for Responsible Investment, Climate Change Principles and climate targets, and requires that target companies observe good governance practices. The fund excludes harmful industries on the basis of Evli’s responsibility principles and Climate Change Principles. In addition, target companies are regularly monitored for violations of norms.

The fund promotes climate change mitigation in accordance with Evli’s climate targets: the fund’s carbon footprint and emission indicators are measured and monitored, and a regular scenario analysis is conducted to monitor the attainment of Evli’s general climate targets. Evli’s goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest, and it has set an interim target of a 50 percent reduction in indirect emissions from all investments by 2030, provided that this is possible in the investment environment. The comparison year is 2019. The fund-specific share of the emission reduction target may vary between funds.

Investment targets are monitored regularly, and efforts are made to engage with companies to influence their practices. Evli can engage with companies either independently or together with other investors. The themes of Evli’s engagement are climate change mitigation, respect for human rights, anti-corruption measures, taking environmental issues into consideration, factors related to good governance and the reporting of responsibility factors.

d) Investment strategy

The fund’s target companies are analyzed before an investment decision is made and at regular intervals during the investment period with regard to environmental, social and corporate governance matters, or ESG factors. ESG factors are integrated into the analysis of target companies and their selection for investment by the fund. Evli has built an internal ESG database based on data produced by external service providers, which it uses to monitor ESG factors.

The attainment of the climate targets will be measured using data from external service providers to monitor the fund’s carbon footprint and intensity, the degree of low-carbon transition, a scenario analysis in relation to the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and the warming ratio associated with the fund.

An assessment of the quality of corporate governance is an important part of the assessment of potential investments. Good governance refers in particular to effective management structures, employee relations, staff remuneration and tax compliance.

Evli’s ownership control principles state that the companies it invests in must engage in good governance by complying with the Finnish Corporate Governance Code issued by the Securities Market Association, for example, or corresponding foreign guidelines, which often impose a partial framework on the remuneration models of the invested companies. In addition, Evli’s Responsible Investment Team analyzes the fund’s investments every three months for any breaches of norms (UN Global Compact and OECD’s guidelines for multinational companies). The OECD’s guidelines for multinational companies also cover disputes related to taxation. Consequently, such disputes may lead to the exclusion of an investment instrument.

e) Proportions of investments

All active investments of the fund promote environmental and social characteristics.

f) Monitoring of environmental or social characteristics

The achievement of the environmental or social characteristics promoted by the financial product is monitored through the target companies’ carbon intensity trend and commitment to emission reduction targets, as well as through the number of target companies that have not committed serious norm violations. Evli has built an internal ESG database to monitor sustainability indicators. In addition, the Responsible Investment Team analyzes norm violation cases in accordance with the process set out in the Principles for Responsible Investment.

g) Methods concerning environmental or social characteristics

The environmental and social characteristics promoted by the financial product are monitored and reported using the sustainability indicators mentioned above.

h) Data sources and data processing

Evli has built an internal database based on data provided by external service providers, which is used for monitoring and reporting sustainability indicators and adverse impacts of investment decisions related to the promotion of the promoted environmental and social characteristics. The data from external providers is not verified by a third party and the completeness of the data is reported at the same time.

i) Limitations of methods and data

The achievement of the promoted environmental and social characteristics is reported annually through the sustainability indicators mentioned above, in conjunction with which the completeness of the data from the target companies is also reported. All active investments of the fund promote environmental and social characteristics by observing Evli’s Principles for Responsible Investment and Climate Change Principles. The completeness of the data does not affect compliance with the above principles.

j) Due diligence

The fund’s target companies are analyzed before an investment decision is made and at regular intervals during the investment period with regard to environmental, social and corporate governance matters, or ESG factors. ESG factors are integrated into the analysis of target companies and their selection for investment by the fund. Evli has built an internal ESG database based on data produced by external service providers, which it uses to monitor ESG factors. Evli regularly monitors its active investments and seeks to influence the companies’ practices. If a company violates the principles of the UN Global Compact, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises or Evli’s Climate Change Principles, Evli will either seek to influence the company’s actions through engaging with it or exclude it from its investments. The methods are based on data provided by an external service provider, which is not verified by a third party.

k) Engagement policies

The financial product can be used to engage with the target companies as part of the promotion of environmental and social characteristics. Evli’s Responsible Investment Policy and Corporate Governance Principles set the framework for Evli’s engagement and conduct in the event of perceived breaches of the Code.

l) Designated reference value

The fund does not have an official benchmark index.

Read more about Evli's responsible investing

Information on environmental and social characteristics of the fund in accordance with article 8 of Sustainable Disclosure Regulation (in force from March 1, 2023)