AXS Change Finance ESG ETF (CHGX) continues the firm’s fast-paced build-out of industry-leading family of non-traditional alternatives and ESG solutions

AXS Investments, a leading asset manager providing access to alternative and sustainable investments for growth, income and diversification, today announced the acquisition of the industry’s first-ever certified carbon-neutral ETF (CHGX), which joins the fast-growing lineup of AXS funds.

CHGX has earned a 5-Globe Morningstar Sustainability Rating, the highest possible rating, putting the fund at the top of the list for investors seeking the crème de la crème of ESG and sustainable investment exposures to buttress their portfolios.

The acquisition of CHGX by AXS comes on the heels of ESG and Sustainable funds attracting a record $69.2 billion in net flows in 2021, a 35% increase over the previous record set in 2020. Sustainable U.S. large-blend funds also saw greater total and risk-adjusted returns versus their traditional peers in 2021, as well as over the trailing three- and five-year periods.

CHGX has approximately $120 million in assets under management as of March 18, 2022, with an investor base of financial advisors and investors who have passionately embraced the robust standards for environmental, social and governance (ESG) developed by Change Finance, the fund’s sub-adviser and globally-recognized leader in sustainable investing and shareholder advocacy. CHGX is a core ESG-focused equity portfolio holding with an underlying methodology that uses traditional ESG measures along with 125 specific criteria to identify companies that have a positive impact on key sustainability metrics, such as land, water, air, biodiversity, people and ethics.

“2021 was a record year for inflows into ESG and sustainability-focused investments and, at the same time, the market has shown little tolerance for greenwashing,” said Greg Bassuk, CEO of AXS Investments. “At AXS, we too have no tolerance for greenwashing, which is why we are building a fund family that has some of the most robust ESG and sustainability standards in the industry, reflective in funds like CHGX. We’re excited to partner with the Change Finance team, longtime leaders in sustainable investing and shareholder advocacy. Their insights will be invaluable as we continue to offer investors strategies that raise the bar for ethics, governance and planet sustenance, emblematic of the CHGX ETF.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with AXS Investments, a team whose longtime success in the ETF space is unparalleled,” said Andrew Rodriguez, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Change Finance. “As we are trailblazing in developing highly robust sustainable strategies, we chose to partner with AXS as an asset management leader that shares our conviction in the highest integrity ESG and sustainable investments, as well as our mutual commitment to setting new standards for ethics, engagement and sustainability in our products, our workplace and our broader U.S. and global communities.”

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The acquisition of CHGX follows the successful launch of the AXS Astoria Inflation Sensitive ETF (PPI), which provides investors with a first-of-its-kind, one-stop inflation strategy that seeks to hedge against inflation and generate appreciation through inflation-sensitive investments. PPI has performed as designed and has proven popular with investors, amassing more than $50 million in assets in just over 50 trading days since its launch.

AXS Investments is a recognized thought leader in sustainable investing. The firm founded the Institute for Sustainable Investing in 2020 as a global center for research, education and thought leadership in sustainable and impact investing. The Institute is a collaboration with academia, business and government to help people, corporations and communities experience sustainable financial well-being and to mobilize education and resources that drive immediate and long-term sustainable outcomes.

Source: AXS Investments