KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A study by global
asset manager American Century Investments featuring respondents
from the United States and
United Kingdom reveals broad
appeal of "impact investing," financial investments designed to
have a positive impact on society, while providing potential
long-term returns. Whether it's an investment that considers
environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors or socially
responsible investing (SRI), 56 percent of U.S. survey participants
and 59 percent of UK respondents say the concept is either
"somewhat" or "very appealing." For U.S. respondents, this is up
from 49 percent in 2018 and 38 percent in 2016.
For the third year, American Century surveyed 1,003 U.S. adults
(18 years or older) to better understand generational and
gender-based attitudes toward impact investing. For the 2019 study,
the firm also surveyed 1,004 UK adults to gauge potential
similarities or differences with U.S. respondents.
Millennials (ages 21 to 38) displayed heightened interest in
impact investing in both the U.S. and UK, at 65 percent and 72
percent, respectively. While slightly lower, 55 percent of Gen X
(ages 39 to 54) U.S. respondents find it appealing compared to 64
percent of their UK counterparts. Appeal among baby boomers (ages
55 to 73) drops to 49 percent in the U.S. and 46 percent in the
UK.
Guillaume Mascotto, vice
president, head of ESG and investment stewardship at American
Century said, "The findings of our study reaffirm that interest in
impact investing continues to be on an upward trajectory across all
age groups, but most importantly, it is encouraging to see that
millennials are in the driver's seat for impact investing."
According to the study, nearly two-in-five U.S. millennials plan
to invest within the next five years, compared to one-in-three UK
millennials.
"These trends are a significant signal to asset management firms
that they will need to enhance their investment standards in an
industry that will soon have to meet the expectations of more
socially and environmentally responsible millennials," Mascotto
explained. "As this generation increasingly demonstrates a desire
to align their positive intentions to address global pressing
issues with their investment choices, it is crucial that we
understand their values and preferences so that we can properly
assess both opportunities and risks."
While "return on investment, risks, fees and length of time" are
the top considerations when making investments, 64 percent of UK
respondents say that "impact on society" is either "very or
somewhat important," compared to 57 percent of U.S.
respondents.
View findings on our website:
https://corporate.americancentury.com/content/corporate/en/newsroom/press/press-center/study-shows-broad-appeal-of-impact-investing.html
When survey participants were asked to select causes that
"matter most" to them, "healthcare/disease prevention and cures"
topped the list with U.S. and UK respondents at 30 percent and 35
percent, respectively. This is consistent with the 2018 and 2016
results. "Environment/sustainability," ranked a close second among
both the U.S. and UK respondents. Other selected causes in
descending order included "improved education," "mitigating
poverty," "gender equality" and "alignment with religious
principles."
"Regardless of whether you live in London, Tokyo
or New York, quality healthcare
and disease prevention are universal concerns," said Mascotto. "In
fact, the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 3 is focused
on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being. This also
aligns with American Century's unique ownership model, which
results in more than 40 percent of our annual dividends being
directed to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a
non-profit biomedical research institution focused on gene-based
diseases."
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted among a
representative sample of 1,003 U.S. adults and 1,004 UK adults, 18
years of age and older from August
8-11 and August 9-14, 2019,
respectively. The study was fielded using Engine's twice-weekly
Online CARAVAN® Omnibus Survey. The results from the
survey were weighted by age, sex, geographic region, race and
education to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the
adult U.S. and UK population.
Other Findings:
- Familiarity of impact investing continues to increase:
-
- 20% in 2016 (U.S.)
- 24% in 2018 (U.S.)
- 30% in 2019 (U.S.) vs 36% in 2019 (UK)
- 32% of U.S. respondents choose to do business with companies
whose values align with their own, compared with only 24% of UK
participants.
- When investing, the percentage of respondents who believe
impact on society is either very or somewhat important is
increasing:
-
- 2016 – 42% U.S.
- 2018 – 54% U.S.
- 2019 – 57% U.S. vs 64% UK
About American Century Investments
American Century
Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering
investment results and building long-term client relationships
while supporting research that can improve human health and save
lives. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments' 1,300
employees serve investment professionals, institutions,
corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Hong
Kong; Frankfurt, Germany;
Sydney; Mountain View, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief
executive officer, and Victor Zhang
serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results
to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over
40 percent of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical
Research, a 500-person, non-profit basic biomedical research
organization. The Institute owns more than 40 percent of American
Century Investments and has received dividend payments of
$1.5 billion since 2000. For more
information about American Century Investments, visit
www.americancentury.com.
©2019 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc.
Contact:
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(816)
340-4062
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SOURCE American Century Investments