The World’s Leading Sovereign Wealth Funds – Global Investors

GAI’s focus on Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) – Critical Capital Sources

As Sovereign Wealth Funds expand their investments they move from back pages to headlines – and grow in importance to issuers of all kinds.

The focus of this section of INSIGHTS-edge is on the world’s growing number of Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs), and select sovereign pension schemes that invest in global assets; also, on key investment community players closely affiliated with SWFs. (These listings will include asset managers and affiliated organizations integral to the SWF investments.)

The SWFs are becoming more prominent institutional investors in many regions and countries as public and privately-held corporations, hedge funds, private equity managers, asset managers, public sector agencies, and others are seeking new sources of capital (debt and equity) and searching the globe to identify potential investors and lenders.

SWFs are regarded as long-term, patient investors – mostly passive in styles – that provide capital for private institutions. As the Peterson Institute describes SWFs, these take many forms and are designed to achieve a range of economic and financial outcomes. SWF is a descriptive terms for a separate pool of government-owned or –sponsored or –controlled financial assets that include international assets (beyond the borders of the nation). The oldest of these date back to the 1950s.  Many SWFs derive their capital from extractive industry revenues – oil and gas, minerals, mining, etc.

The estimated total asset holdings of the SWFs exceeded $5 trillion (US Dollars) in 2008 and are estimated to rise to approximate all US equity holdings in 10 years or so.  Private sector analysis estimated SWF assets could reach $15 trillion by the year 2015.

We monitor and gather a wide range of relevant news developments concerning the players; monitor their activities; conduct continuing research; chart the key players’ influence on capital markets; and provide clients with news and updates, perspectives and intelligence to clients through this advisory service.

The Relevance and Importance of ESG / Sustainability to SWFs:

Note that an increasing number of the world’s SWFs consider ESG and Sustainability factors and certain corporate performance indicators and behaviors [related to ESG issues] in their research and investment decision-making.  Some ESG players identified elsewhere in GAI’s INSIGHTS-edge are researchers, advisors and consultants to SWFs.  Some SWFs are passive investors while a small number are also can be considered active investors or join with activists coalitions. These affiliations are noted where known.

This section of INSIGHTS-edge is continuously expanded and new players added.  Profiles are regularly updated and new profiles added.

Please send suggestions for additional profiling and other information to: hboerner@ga-institute.com

GAI’s INSIGHTS-edge resources are available to clients.  Contact Stan Adams, Vice President-Marketing, at Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. for information.

Stan Adams – 516-248-2383 ext 24
Email: sadams@ga-institute.com