Natixis Global Asset Management Launches Industry’s First ESG Target-Date Funds

Business Wire

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Natixis Global Asset Management today launched the industry’s first target-date retirement savings solution that focuses on environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing. The Natixis Sustainable Future Funds include ten funds with vintages ranging every five years from 2015 to 2060. The Funds select securities based on ESG criteria with respect to issues such as fair labor, anti-corruption, human rights, fair business practices and mitigation of environmental impact, and will seek a diversified portfolio of investments that contribute to a more sustainable future.

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Natixis research has shown that people want their investments to reflect their personal values, as indicated by 82% of respondents in the firm’s 2016 Global Survey of Individual Investors.¹ For plan sponsors looking to encourage savings, Natixis findings show that six in ten respondents (62%) would be more likely to contribute or increase contributions to their retirement plan if they knew their investments were doing social good. Moreover, the Natixis 2016 Retirement Plan Participant Study² found that nearly three-quarters of respondents (74%) would like to see more socially responsible investments in their retirement plan offerings and most (78%) believe it is important to make the world a better place while growing their personal assets.

“Our research shows that most people want to align their investments with their personal values, and we’re thrilled to introduce a retirement option that allows participants to invest in a more meaningful way,” said David Giunta, President and CEO for the U.S. and Canada. “This offering provides workers who want to make a difference with the option to invest in companies that are committed to sustainable business practices.”

“American workers are undoubtedly challenged to save enough for retirement,” said Ed Farrington, Natixis’ Executive Vice President for Retirement Strategies. “Our research tells us that individuals would save more in their retirement accounts if their investments had a positive social or environmental effect on the world. People want to know their investments are doing good while also helping them meet their retirement goals.”

The Funds are advised by NGAM Advisors, L.P. and sub-advised by Natixis Asset Management U.S., LLC (Natixis AM U.S.). Among other investment constituents, the Funds will incorporate equity and fixed-income allocations that leverage the ESG expertise of Mirova, operated in the U.S. through Natixis AM U.S., which has managed responsible investment solutions for almost 30 years.³ Natixis also has selected Wilshire Associates Incorporated as a sub-adviser to provide glide path design and portfolio allocation services.

Visit ngam.natixis.com/us/natixis-sustainable-future-funds for more information.

Important Considerations
The Funds are designed for investors who will be age 65 around the year indicated in each Fund's name. When choosing a Fund, investors who anticipate retiring significantly earlier or later than age 65 may want to select a Fund closer to their anticipated retirement year. Besides age, there may be other considerations relevant to fund selection, including personal circumstances, risk tolerance and specific investment goals. The Funds asset allocation becomes increasingly conservative as it approaches the target date and beyond. Allocations may deviate plus or minus 10% from their targeted percentages. Investments in the Funds are subject to the risks of the underlying funds and separately managed segments.

Principal invested is not guaranteed against losses. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Funds, including at and after the Funds' target date. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss.

Risks: Equity securities are volatile and can decline significantly in response to broad market and economic conditions. Fixed-income securities may carry one or more of the following risks: credit, interest rate (as interest rates rise bond prices usually fall), inflation and liquidity. Sustainable investing focuses on investments in companies that relate to certain sustainable development themes and demonstrate adherence to environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, therefore each Fund's universe of investments may be reduced. It may sell a security when it could be disadvantageous to do so or forgo opportunities in certain companies, industries, sectors or countries. This could have a negative impact on performance depending on whether such investments are in or out of favor. Foreign and emerging market securities may be subject to greater political, economic, environmental, credit, currency and information risks. Foreign securities may be subject to higher volatility than U.S. securities, due to varying degrees of regulation and limited liquidity. These risks are magnified in emerging markets. Mortgage-related and asset-backed securities are subject to the risks of the mortgages and assets underlying the securities. Other related risks include prepayment risk, which is the risk that the securities may be prepaid, potentially resulting in the reinvestment of the prepaid amounts into securities with lower yields. Inflation protected securities move with the rate of inflation and carry the risk that in deflationary conditions (when inflation is negative) the value of the bond may decrease. Multi-manager funds may be managed by several sub-advisers using different styles which may not always complement each other. This could adversely affect performance and may lead to higher fund expenses.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Visit ngam.natixis.com or call (800) 225-5478 for a prospectus or a summary prospectus containing this and other information. Read it carefully.

NGAM Distribution, L.P. is a limited purpose broker-dealer and the distributor of various registered investment companies for which advisory services are provided by affiliates of Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A. Member SIPC.

About Mirova
Mirova, a subsidiary of Natixis Asset Management, offers a global responsible investing approach involving Equities, Fixed-Income, General and Renewable Energy Infrastructure, Impact Investing, and Voting and Engagement. It has $6.8 billion in assets under management (as of 12/31/16) and $44 billion in Voting and Engagement (as of 12/31/15). Its team of circa 60 multidisciplinary experts includes specialists in thematic investment management, engineers, financial and environmental, social and governance analysts, project financing specialists and experts in solidarity finance.

About Natixis Asset Management U.S., LLC and Mirova
Natixis AM U.S., launched in 2014, is a U.S.-based investment adviser, majority-owned by Natixis Asset Management and minority-owned by Mirova with $423 million in assets under management (as of 12/31/16). Natixis AM U.S. utilizes the expertise of Mirova, which is operated in the U.S. through Natixis AM U.S.

About Natixis Global Asset Management
Natixis Global Asset Management serves thoughtful investment professionals with more insightful ways to understand and manage risk. Through our Durable Portfolio Construction^® approach, we help them construct more strategic portfolios that seek to produce better outcomes in today’s unpredictable markets. We draw from deep investor and industry insights and partner closely with our clients to put objective data behind the discussion.

Natixis is ranked among the world’s largest asset management firms.⁴ Uniting over 20 specialized investment managers globally ($877.1 billion AUM⁵), we bring a diverse range of solutions tailored to meet every strategic challenge. From insight to action, Natixis helps our clients better serve their own with more durable portfolios.

Headquartered in Paris and Boston, Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A.’s assets under management totaled $877.1 billion as of December 31, 2016.⁵ Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A. is part of Natixis. Listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, Natixis is a subsidiary of BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France. Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A.’s affiliated investment management firms and distribution and service groups include Active Index Advisors^SM;⁶ AEW Capital Management; AEW Europe; AlphaSimplex Group; Axeltis; Darius Capital Partners; DNCA Investments;⁷ Dorval Asset Management;⁸ Emerise;⁹ Gateway Investment Advisers; H2O Asset Management;⁸ Harris Associates; IDFC Asset Management Company; Loomis, Sayles & Company; Managed Portfolio Advisors^®;⁶ McDonnell Investment Management; Mirova;¹⁰ Natixis Asset Management; Ossiam; Seeyond;¹⁰ Vaughan Nelson Investment Management; Vega Investment Managers; and Natixis Global Asset Management Private Equity, which includes Seventure Partners, Naxicap Partners, Alliance Entreprendre, Euro Private Equity, Caspian Private Equity and Eagle Asia Partners. Not all offerings available in every jurisdiction.

About Wilshire Associates Incorporated
Wilshire Associates Incorporated, a global, independent investment consulting and services firm, provides consulting services, analytics solutions and customized investment products to plan sponsors, investment managers and financial intermediaries. Based in Santa Monica, California, Wilshire provides services to clients in more than 20 countries representing more than 500 organizations with assets exceeding US $7 trillion.¹¹

¹Natixis Global Asset Management, 2016 Global Survey of Individual Investors compiled by CoreData Research, February 2016. Survey included 7.100 investors in 22 countries of which 750 were in the U.S.
² Natixis Global Asset Management, 2016 Retirement Plan Participant Study compiled by CoreData Research, August 2016. Survey included 951 U.S. workers, 651 being plan participants and 300 being non-participants. The age groups are broken up as follows: 285 Gen Y/Millennials (18-34 years old), 283 Gen X (35-50 years old) and 383 Baby Boomers (51 years and older).
³Mirova, an asset management company wholly owned by Natixis Asset Management (Natixis AM) since 2014 and previously a division of Natixis AM, benefits from almost 30 years of experience in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing through Natixis AM.
⁴Cerulli Quantitative Update: Global Markets 2016 ranked Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A. as the 16^th largest asset manager in the world based on assets under management ($870.3 billion) as of December 31, 2015.
⁵Net asset value as of September 30, 2016. Assets under management (AUM) may include assets for which non-regulatory AUM services are provided. Non-regulatory AUM includes assets which do not fall within the SEC’s definition of ‘regulatory AUM’ in Form ADV, Part 1.
⁶A division of NGAM Advisors, L.P.
⁷A brand of DNCA Finance.
⁸ A subsidiary of Natixis Asset Management.
⁹A brand of Natixis Asset Management and Natixis Asset Management Asia Limited, based in Singapore and Paris.
¹⁰Operated in the U.S. through Natixis Asset Management U.S., LLC.
¹¹Client assets are as represented by Pensions & Investments (P&I), detailed in P&I’s “Largest Retirement Funds” and P&I’s “Largest Money Managers (U.S. institutional tax-exempt assets)” as of 9/30/15 and 12/31/15, and published 2/8/16 and 5/30/16, respectively.