Agenda item

A report of the Interim Director of Finance was presented to provide Members with quarterly investment reports in respect of funds invested externally with Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Limited (Border to Coast) and with State Street Global Advisers (State Street).

As at 31 March 2024 the Fund had investments in the Border to Coast UK Listed Equity, Overseas Developed Markets and Emerging Markets Equity Funds. For all three sub funds the return target was expected to be delivered over rolling 3-year periods, before calculation of the management fee. The Fund also had investments in the Border to Coast Private Equity sub-fund and the Border to Coast Infrastructure sub-fund. To date, total commitments of £900 million had been made to these sub-funds (£500m to infrastructure and £400m to private equity) with around a third of this commitment invested so far. In addition, a commitment to invest £80 million over a three-year period to the Border to Coast Climate Opportunities Fund had been made. These investments were not reflected within the Border to Coast report attached at Appendix A to the submitted report but were referenced in the Border to Coast presentation later in the agenda for this meeting.

The Border to Coast report showed the market value of the portfolio as at 31 March 2024 and the investment performance over the preceding quarter, year, and since the Fund’s investments began. Border to Coast had also provided additional information within an appendix to that report in relation to the Overseas Developed Markets Equity Fund, giving a breakdown of key drivers of and detractors from performance in relation to each of its four regional elements. Market background information and an update of some news items related to Border to Coast were also included. Border to Coast’s UK Listed Equity Fun’s returns were 1.02% below benchmark over the last year, or 2.02% under its overachievement target, whereas the Overseas Developed Markets Equity Fund had achieved returns of 3.56% above benchmark over the last year, comfortably above its 1% overachievement target. Since inception, the UK fund had delivered performance of 0.5% a year above benchmark, slightly below its long-term target, and the overseas fund had delivered performance of 1.64% above benchmark, above its long-term target. The performance of the Emerging Markets Equity Fund had been below benchmark throughout much of the period of the Teesside Pension Fund’s investment.  The recent position had shown a slight improvement, with performance over the quarter and the year to 31 March 2024 above benchmark (but behind target).  Since inception the Fund was 1.43% a year behind benchmark, so 2.93% a year behind target.

It was clarified that the benchmarks were agreed with Border To Coast and the other investors when the funds were set up.  They were reviewed annually but to date no changes had been made.

State Street had a passive global equity portfolio invested across four different region tracking indices appropriate to each region. The State Street report (attached at Appendix B to the submitted report) showed the market value of the State Street passive equity portfolio and the proportions invested in each region as at 31 March 2024.

State Street continued to include additional information with their report this quarter, giving details of how the portfolio compared to the benchmark in terms of environmental, social and governance factors including separate sections on climate and stewardship issues. As the State Street investments are passive and closely track the appropriate regional equity indices, the portfolio’s rating in these terms closely matched the benchmark indices ratings.

The Committee been notified that from 18 December 2023 the benchmarks of the State Street Sub-Funds the Fund invested in would apply screens to exclude certain securities related to Tobacco and Thermal Coal. Excluded companies would be any involved in production of tobacco or tobacco products and companies that extract thermal coal or had thermal coal power generation and this activity represented 10% or more of revenues. This was in addition to the current screening for UN Global Compact Violations and Controversial Weapons which came into effect on 18 November 2020. Initial indications were that across the four State Street Sub-Funds these changes would cover around 0.36% of the current assets (tobacco) and 0.88% of the current assets (thermal coal) that the Fund invested via State Street.

Appendix C to the submitted report contained the latest available ESG and carbon exposure in relation to the three Border to Coast listed equity sub-funds the Fund invests in: UK Listed Equity, Overseas Developed Markets Equity and Emerging Markets Equity.  Amongst other information, the reports included information on the highest and lowest ESG-rated companies within those Border to Coast sub-funds, together with an analysis of the carbon exposure of the sub-funds on a number of metrics. The sub-funds’ ESG position and carbon exposure was also compared to benchmarks representing the ‘average’ rating across the investment universe of that particular benchmark.

A Member queried what level of scrutiny Border to Coast carried out in relation to the ESG objectives and how might some of the investments be reconsidered.  It was clarified that it was a long term approach and the point of a divestment decision had not yet been reached. 

ORDERED that the report was received and noted.