Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) today launched a range of three Quality Equity Dividend ETFs, designed for equity income investors with ESG screens and responsible exclusions.
The three ETFs track FTSE Russell indices and follow tailored investment strategies devised by LGIM and FTSE Russell. They are available to UK intermediary and retail investors. The names of the funds are:
- L&G Quality Equity Dividends ESG Exclusions UK UCITS ETF
- L&G Quality Equity Dividends ESG Exclusions Europe ex-UK UCITS ETF
- L&G Quality Equity Dividends ESG Exclusions Asia Pacific ex-Japan UCITS ETF
According to LGIM, the funds seek consistent dividend payers and apply a quality screen to help investors avoid value traps by excluding companies that do not have a positive return on equity or robust balance sheets.
The dividend screen identifies companies paying consistent and resilient dividends based on their positive return on equity, a demonstrably positive trend in the dividends distributed per share and a higher consensus forecast on dividend yields.
James Crossley, head of UK retail sales at LGIM, said: “Dependable income is something investors are crying out for in the current environment, but some stocks with high dividend yields may be value traps with poor fundamentals and weak growth prospects.
“We believe that in giving investors exposure to a range of quality companies, with strong dividend characteristics and avoiding material ESG risks, we are well positioned to help them generate consistent income in their portfolios.
“The three new funds will build on and complement LGIM’s existing suite of core and thematic ETFs across different asset classes, bringing the total range to 41 funds, 33 of which are available on the Italian, German and Swiss stock exchanges.”