Signatory of Principles for Responsible Investment Icon

Investing in Good Companies

Welcome! We are a different asset management company:

  • Our unique fundamental portfolio characteristics result in a higher probability of outperformance
  • Our stock selection has superior ESG & Sustainability scores and very low Carbon Footprint
  • As significant co-investors in our funds we have skin-in-the game
News

Beware of Exuberance in Large Cap Growth Stocks!

 ARTICO Sustainable Equity Funds

Access fund information
Unique Portfolio Characteristics

Gain a higher outperformance probability

 Fully integrated ESG

See how ESG leads to better results

 ABOUT US

Meet the team co-investing with you

Investment Strategy
Unique Portfolio Characteristics Deliver Superior Performance

The higher outperformance probability comes from investing in companies with high scores in the following 5 dimensions:

 

Our proprietary research on relevant fundamental selection criteria is the foundation of our fundamental model. We published the key results in the Wilmott Magazine

READ the full Wilmott Article

 

and a shortened version in Finanz und Wirtschaft

READ Article in Finanz & Wirtschaft

 

Our Outperformance comes from three sources:

  1. The fundamentally best companies have a higher probability to outperform
  2. Diversifying into a large number of good companies ensures robust outcomes
  3. Investing beyond benchmarks creates a larger set of opportunities
READ our Company Fact Sheet

Fully Integrated ESG/Sustainability Criteria

 

What is our Motivation to apply ESG?

Companies with high ESG scores will outperform, because they:

  • Are a good proxy for superior management
  • Will attract significant institutional flows
  • Contribute to Investment Risk Mitigation

What makes our Approach to ESG unique?

Investing with a sole focus on ESG can result in buying over-priced stocks. We create portfolios with superior fundamental characteristics and very high ESG Scores and very low Carbon Footprint at the same time.

What is the expected Performance impact of ESG?

We use MSCI ESG database and we developed our own ARTICO ESG factor, which is a good predictor of future outperformance

 

 

Artico Partners is a signatory of the UN PRI, follows the engagement work and the exclusion list of the SVVK (Swiss Association for Responsible Investments), fully supports the PARIS agreement on climate change and is also a supporter of the TCFD (Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures).

 

Published ARTICO Research:

Is sustainable investing a positive or negative contributor to outperformance? And how patient do investors need to be to capitalize on any positive effects? Our research results answer these questions and our conclusions on the required time horizon may come as a surprise for investors hesitating to introduce sustainable investing.

READ the full article published in Wilmott Magazine (Sep 2020)

 

READ our Principles for Responsible Investing

 

A Team of Experienced Partners co-invested in our funds

Dr. Ulrich Niederer
Chairman and Senior Partner

As Chairman of ARTICO Partners, Ulrich oversees the business strategy, the product development and the investment activities of the firm. Operationally, he is directly responsible for Risk Management and Compliance. Ulrich is a Founding Partner of ARTICO.

Ulrich has more than 30 years of investment experience and started his career as quantitative research analyst in 1986 at the then Swiss Bank Corporation. His various functions at SBC and later UBS Global Asset Management included: Chief Investment Officer, Co-CEO Switzerland, Chairman of the Swiss Business and Head of the Alternative Investment Management Business (Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Infrastructure). Ulrich holds a PhD in Nuclear Physics from University of Basle.

Dr. Gabriel Herrera
CEO and Senior Partner

As CEO of ARTICO Partners, Gabriel is responsible for all aspects of the business including the product development, client relationships and the investment activities of the firm. Gabriel is a Founding Partner of ARTICO.

Gabriel has more than 30 years of investment experience and started his career as equity research analyst in 1987 at the then Swiss Bank Corporation. His various functions at SBC and later UBS Global Asset Management included: Head of Equity Research, Co-CEO Switzerland and then CEO Europe Middle East & Africa. Gabriel holds a PhD in Economics from University of Basle.

Tero Toivanen
CIO and Partner

As Chief Investment Officer Tero is responsible for the research and development of investment strategies and portfolios. His responsibilities include the continued development of the investment platform and the portfolio management of ARTICO funds.

Tero’s background contains several years of experience in global equity portfolio management and prior experience in the areas of software development, quality management and team leadership. Tero holds MsC in computer science from the Helsinki University of Technology and MBA from the Purdue University. Tero is also a CFA Charterholder.

Michael Brenneis
Head PM and Partner

Michael’s main responsibility is the portfolio management of ARTICO funds. His further responsibilities include the development of the investment platform, and research and development of investment products and strategies.

Michael holds diploma certificate in electrical engineering and MBA from the university of South Australia. He has several years of experience in global equity portfolio management and prior experience in software development in the areas of telecommunications, medical engineering and finance.

Andreas Konrad
COO and Partner

As Chief Operating Officer of ARTICO, Andreas is responsible for the operational part of the investment management, including the fund operations and trading activities.

Andreas‘ background involves several years of work experience in the finance industry, mainly in global equity trading and operations functions. He is holder of Swiss federal diploma in business organization and a diploma in applied psychology.

As significant co-investors in our funds at the same conditions than our clients, we have „skin-in-the-game“. Is there a better way to fully align our interests?

READ why having „skin-in-the game“ is essential
ACCESS our Company Fact Sheet for more Information

 

Board of Directors ARTICO Partners AG

  • 
Dr. Ulrich Niederer, Chairman
  • Dr. Gabriel Herrera
  • Thomas Huber (Independent Director)
  • Neil Stiefel (Independent Director)
  • Dominique Bertrand

cfi.co award 2018 winner switzerland

News

Beware of Exuberance in Large Cap Growth Stocks!

• Markets were overall flat in January with the exception of emerging markets
• Global developed markets were down 1.0%, global small caps gained 0.7% and emerging markets advanced 3.1%
• Investors started to worry about the pandemic (delay in vaccines, new mutations) and the risk of a slower than expected economic recovery
• Artico’s stock selection contributed very positively across all funds
OUTLOOK:
• Since a couple of years performance of large cap growth companies has been particularly strong
• This has led to a significant valuation differential with a high potential for a reversal
• Of course market distortions can prevail for much longer than one would think 
• The time has come to be very cautious with focused investments in the past winners like large cap growth stocks
• Equity markets more generally reached the danger zone with very high historic valuations and several signs of bullish over-optimism
• Markets are therefore vulnerable for a correction
• However, given expansion of central bank balance sheets and piling up of government debt, nominal assets (bonds) look even less attractive
• The long term case for real assets like equities is therefore very strong
• Artico Sustainable Equity Funds are well positioned to navigate through trend reversals and potentially turbulent times for three reasons:
• First, Artico is invested in companies with fundamental characteristics of highest quality
• Second, Artico funds have no single style bias (growth versus value)
• Third, Artico funds cover the full spectrum of market capitalization (large, mid and small caps). 
Access Fund Documents and Monthly Report

How long will the Music Play this Time?

  • Markets continued their rally in December 
    • Global Developed Markets were up 4.2%, Global Small Caps gained 7.2% and Emerging Markets advanced 7.4%
    • For the full year 2020 global equity markets were up 16% (Developed Markets) to even 18% (Emerging Markets) despite pandemic and lockdwons
  • Artico stock selection for the full year was negatively affected by large cap growth stocks significantly outperforming small caps
  • The valuation gap between small and large cap stocks has considerably widened
  • Equity markets are driven by apparent over-optimism 
    • Enthusiasm has reached retail market (usually not a good sign)
    • Tesla has performed over 1000% in just over one year and Airbnb’s IPO was exuberant. Just two of many warning signals that markets are overheated
  • Valuation approaching or exceeding all-time highs
  • Markets are climbing on thinner ice as they have entered the danger zone
  • However: Unlimited money supply functions as a safety net, providing plenty of oxygen for this climb to go further
  • Meanwhile government debt levels keep rising and central banks finance it while keeping interest rates ultra-low
  • How long can such governmental Ponzi scheme last? Nobody knows really.
    • Economic growth alone is unlikely to resolve the problem
    • Debt restructuring or even monetary reform are very ugly scenarios
  • Stay focussed on real assets, avoid nominal assets

Prepare to enter the Danger Zone

  • Markets sky-rocketed in November fueled by optimism on vaccines, further stimulus packages and sustained economic recovery 
  • Global Developed Markets were up 12.8%, Global Small Caps gained 14.3% and Emerging Markets advanced 9.2% in one month!
  • Artico stock selection for the full year was behind markets, as the performance was mainly driven by large cap segments of the market, while small caps underperformed
  • This has significantly increased the valuation of large cap stocks and considerably widened the valuation gap between small and large cap stocks (feel free to contact us for our research on this matter)
  • Equity markets show now too many similarities with 1999 (value out of favor, over-concentration on few large caps, exuberant valuations, retail euphoria, margin-debt levels record-high) to fully ignore these warning signs
  • Also, the same discussion has started, whether or not „this time, it is different“
  • Indeed, some aspects are clearly different: First, several of the hyped companies have become money-making machines and secondly, the unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus is of a size not even imaginable 20 years ago
  • So, while markets have become exuberant, they can also stay extreme for much longer. Given valuations and over-confidence, we need to prepare to enter the danger zone. That does not mean a collapse is imminent, but it requires a disciplined investment approach

Sustainable Investing: Encouraging Evidence for Investors!



Is sustainable investing a positive or negative contributor to outperformance? And how patient do investors need to be to capitalize on any positive effects? Our published research results answer these questions and our conclusions on the required time horizon may come as a surprise for investors hesitating to introduce sustainable investing.

Read the full article published in Wilmott Magazine (Sep 2020)

Contact

ARTICO Partners
Stockerstrasse 50
CH-8002 Zürich

Tel: +41 44 201 40 20
E-mail: info@artico-partners.com