Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), one of Europe's largest asset managers offering investment solutions to a broad range of clients globally, has launched the ‘L&G Optical Technology & Photonics ESG Exclusions UCITS’ exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Tracking the Solactive EPIC Optical Technology & Photonics Index, the fund is designed to provide exposure to equity services of global companies that are actively engaged in the optical technology and the photonics value-chain.
An ETF is a type of investment fund and exchange-traded product, just like the stock market. A UCITS, or ‘undertakings for the collective investment in transferable securities', is an investment fund regulated at European Union level.
EPIC colleague Antonio Raspa made a presentation on 7 September 2022 at the Italian Stock Exchange on the occasion of the launch of the L&G Optical Technology & Photonics UCITS ETF. The ETF is listed on multiple exchanges: London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Börse, Borsa Italiana, and the SIX Swiss Exchange.
Solactive is a German provider of financial indices based in Frankfurt. The company develops, calculates, and markets cost-efficient indices over several asset classes.
Timo Pfeiffer, chief markets officer of Solactive, commented positively about the future of photonics: ‘Judging by what we have achieved so far in terms of technological development, we are going to increasingly need laser technology, sensors and many other applications that only exist because of this science. The new product aims to capture this trend within the thematic environment. As a global leader in the thematic space, Solactive is pleased that LGIM and EPIC have chosen us for this launch and we expect to expand this cooperation further in the future.’
Markus Barth, CEO of Anatase, who designed the index in collaboration with EPIC and Solactive, added: ‘While the investment returns on individual photonics companies are potentially very large, it is difficult for investors to differentiate between winners and losers over time. EPIC’s in-depth company analysis provides a diversified global basket of companies that are all key enablers of a greener future.’
EPIC is making a dedicated effort to reach out to the financial and investors community, to generally advocate for photonics, but also to connect more knowledgeable investors with the members of the association who are looking for the whole range of investment from pre-seed, seed, round A through D and also exits or M&A.
