Business Post Contributor
FBNQuest, the investment banking and asset management group of FBN Holdings Plc, recently hosted a session themed Planning your Future with Ethical Investments through its webinar platform, Leading Conversations.
The webinar was aimed to encourage investors to consider ethical investing as a means to achieving their financial goals while realising value in a manner that aligns with their values and beliefs for the broader society.
The webinar featured an interactive panel discussion from experts that highlighted the values and benefits associated with ethical investments.
The seasoned experts from the FBNQuest team were Ifeoluwa Oladapo- Dixon, Assistant Director and Head of Fixed Income Solutions at FBNQuest Asset Management and Mutiat Olatunji, Private Trust Specialist at FBNQuest Trustees, with AbudulQudus Isiaka, Senior Economist at Proshare Nigeria Limited acting as panel moderator.
The panel defined Ethical investing as the practice of using moral beliefs or principles as a primary filter for selecting financial assets in one’s portfolio.
Ifeoluwa Dixon stated that investors who choose to invest in a range of ethical investments do not necessarily sacrifice returns from investments in comparable assets.
On the contrary, she said that returns on ethical investments compare favourably with other assets, highlighting historical returns from Sukuk bonds set against those of other government-issued fixed-income securities.
“Investors who prioritise their ethical values over returns get the best of both worlds when they invest in ethical products. Indeed, investors should consider the alignment of their investment with their values as a premium on their investment return,” said Ifeoluwa.
While discussing the theme of Planning your future with ethical investment, Mutiat Olatunji, highlighted five broad classes of ethical investments; Environmental, Social and Governance Investment (ESG), Social Responsible Investment (SRI), Sustainable Investing, Impact Investing, and Moral or Faith-Based Investing.
“When investing ethically, your return on investment has more than a financial impact. The impact that your resources contribute to society or the environment is a win for the investor,” said Mutiat.
FBNQuest offers a range of ethical investment solutions, including the FBN Halal Fund and Islamic Estate Planning services.
It launched its Leading Conversations with FBNQuest webinar series in 2020. The series focuses on market, industry, lifestyle, consumer insights and analyses that are crucial for individual and corporate success.
These sessions feature seasoned professionals from FBNQuest, as well as other industry experts in corporate and private investment management, wealth preservation, financial advisory and other areas of interest.
