United StatesPerformance and Portfolio Update
- The Pax Global Environmental Markets Fund significantly outperformed the MSCI ACWI benchmark during the third quarter.
- In a pro-cyclical rally, the Fund’s overweight exposure and strong stock selection within Industrials drove outperformance. Corporate activity led Utilities holdings to outperform, and Materials and Health Care (environmental testing) holdings delivered better returns than their peers in the MSCI ACWI Index.
- Trane Technologies (Buildings Energy Efficiency, US) and Deere & Co (Sustainable & Efficient Agriculture, US) were two examples of Industrials companies whose share prices rose strongly, posting favorable earnings results despite the challenging economic backdrop. While some specific headwinds remain for Trane Technologies, for example in lodging and retail, demand for energy efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (‘HVAC’) equipment is booming in warehouses and data centers. The work-from-home trend has also boosted demand from the residential side, and in addition, volumes in air filtration systems. Deere & Co, a global leader in agricultural machinery, helps improve efficiency in an industry that is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The company benefited from an improved outlook for agricultural equipment sales as soft commodity prices recovered on expectations of increasing demand from China.
- During a strong quarter, all sectors and regions contributed positively to returns, with underperformance limited and stock specific. Pennon Group (Water Utilities, UK) suffered from a market rotation away from more defensive stocks as investors grew more optimistic about economic recovery. Autodesk (Buildings Energy Efficiency, US) shares retracted slightly due to profit taking following solid performance earlier in the year.
- On a relative basis, the portfolio’s underweight exposure to Consumer Discretionary also detracted, with companies such as Amazon falling outside of the environmental markets universe. The portfolio’s IT exposure also lagged, as a concentrated group of large mega-cap names outside the investable universe drove price moves upward.
- Strong performance of the Fund this year demonstrates the secular durability of the investment thesis – in our opinion companies that are well positioned for the transition to a more sustainable and therefore resilient economy will thrive. The post-COVID world is a suitable reminder of this thesis as companies and global economies have experienced the largest systemic shock in decades.
- The investment team remains focused on portfolio construction to achieve a resilient, diversified and balanced portfolio, and on the selection of quality companies successfully navigating a variety of economic backdrops. Strong demand for structural and cost-efficient solutions to environmental challenges remain, and the investment team has a long history of investing in these markets.
- Current themes and opportunities of interest include the “factory of the future” and related efficiency software and hardware integration, reshoring and changing supply chains, the future of mobility, the changing landscape of power generation and implications for the energy grid, solutions for preserving biodiversity, and innovation in agricultural and food technology markets.
Performance(as of 9/30/20) | 1-Month | Quarter | YTD | 1 Year | 3 Year | 5 Year | 10 Year | Since Inception1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pax Global Environmental Markets Fund - Investor Class | 0.27 | 15.19 | 10.17 | 19.79 | 8.24 | 12.09 | 9.78 | 6.63 |
| Pax Global Environmental Markets Fund - Class A | 0.27 | 15.15 | 10.12 | 19.82 | 8.25 | 12.09 | 9.78 | 6.63 |
| Pax Global Environmental Markets Fund - Institutional Class | 0.32 | 15.28 | 10.34 | 20.12 | 8.51 | 12.36 | 10.06 | 6.90 |
| MSCI ACWI (Net) Index | -3.22 | 8.13 | 1.37 | 10.44 | 7.12 | 10.30 | 8.55 | 5.74 |
| FTSE Environmental Opportunities Index Series | -0.65 | 17.28 | 14.25 | 25.68 | 11.75 | 15.57 | 10.82 | - |
Performance data quoted represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. To obtain performance for the most recent month-end call 800.767.1729 or visit impaxam.com
Figures include reinvested dividends, capital gains distributions and changes in principal value.
Performance (as of 9/30/20) | 1-Month | Quarter | YTD | 1 Year | 3 Year | 5 Year | 10 Year | Since Inception1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pax Global Environmental Markets Fund - Class A (Load) | -5.23 | 8.84 | 4.06 | 13.24 | 6.22 | 10.82 | 9.17 | 6.15 |
1The inception date for the Pax Global Environmental Markets Fund Institutional Class and the Investor Class is March 27, 2008. The Class A shares inception date is May 1, 2013.
Total annual Global Environmental Markets Fund operating expenses, gross of any fee waivers or reimbursements, for Institutional Class, Investor Class and Class A shares are 0.97%, 1.22%, and 1.22%, respectively, as of 5/1/2020 prospectus. Total annual Global Environmental Markets Fund operating expenses, net of any fee waivers, reimbursements and acquired fund fees and expenses, for Institutional Class, Investor Class, and Class A shares were 0.97%, 1.22% and 1.22%, respectively.
The performance information shown for Class A represents the performance of the Investor Class shares for the period prior to Class A inception. Expenses have not been adjusted to reflect the expenses allocable to Class A shares. Class A inception date return since May 1, 2013 is 9.50% (annualized). A 1.00% CDSC (contingent deferred sales charge) may be charged on any shares sold within 18 months of purchase over $1 million. POP (public offering price) reflects the maximum sales load for the Fund’s Class A Shares of 5.50%.
Performance AttributionGlobal Industry Classification Standard† Sectors(for quarter ended 9/30/20) Average Active Weights (%) | Total Relative Contribution (%) |
|---|---|
 |  |
†The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) is a standardized classification system for equities developed jointly by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) and Standard & Poor’s. The GICS methodology is used by the MSCI indexes, which include domestic and international stocks, as well as by a large portion of the professional investment management community.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Performance AttributionEnvironmental Markets Classification | Total Relative Contribution (%) |
|---|---|
 |  |
XThe Environmental Markets Classification System (EMCS) is a comprehensive global classification system for environmental markets. Environmental market companies are defined as providing products and services that deliver solutions to environmental challenges, and include environmental technology. Relative results of the Fund compared to the FTSE Environmental Opportunities All Shares Index. Source: FTSE.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Portfolio Characteristics(as of 9/30/20) | Fund | MSCI ACWI |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap (weighted avg.)∱ | $38,187M | $292,088M |
| Forward Price/Earnings∼ | 30.42 | 21.20 |
| ROE∘ | 17.96 | 20.03 |
| Beta∞ | 1.05 | 1.00 |
| Number of Securities | 50 | 2,991 |
Top 10 Holdings
(as of 9/30/20)
American Water Works Co., Inc. 3.3%, IDEX Corp. 3.3%, Agilent Technologies, Inc. 3.3%, Linde PLC 3.1%, Suez 3.1%, Waste Management, Inc. 3.1%, Schneider Electric SE 3.0%, Koninklijke DSM N.V. 2.9%, Autodesk, Inc. 2.6%. Intertek Group PLC 2.5%. Holdings are subject to change.
Definitions
ƒWeighted Average is an average in which each quantity to be averaged is assigned a weight. These weightings determine the relative importance of each quantity on the average.
∼Forward Price-Earnings Ratio or P/E FY1 ratio is a ratio for valuing a company that measures its current share price relative to its per-share earnings over the next 12 months.
∘Return on Equity: The amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders’ equity. Return on equity measures a corporation’s profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested.
∞A historical Beta is used for Funds with greater than two years of performance history under the same mandate. Five year Beta is used. Beta reflects the sensitivity of a Fund’s return to fluctuations in its benchmark; A beta for a benchmark is 1.00: A beta greater than 1.00 indicates above-average volatility and risk.
The statements and opinions expressed are those of the author as of the date of this report. All information is historical and not indicative of future results and subject to change. This information is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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