Vontobel Winner

With 225.9 billion Swiss francs ($248.97 billion) in assets under management as of June 30, 2024, the Swiss asset manager takes an innovative approach to investment research, with an international focus.

Vontobel bucks the traditional buy side/sell side equity research process. The firm’s view is that the traditional research process causes investors to miss red flags, with the buy side and sell side forming the same opinions about companies, as they both receive the same information from the same people. The process creates conformity and groupthink among research analysts, Vontobel’s team argues.

Instead, on its quality growth team, Vontobel employs a group of former investigative journalists to assist in the research process. These former reporters add an extra layer of due diligence, using their qualitative skillset, questioning companies’ investment theses and digging deeper, seeking insights that others might miss.

The firm also has an international outlook to picking stocks. Vontobel’s investors seek to own the highest-quality stocks outside the U.S. At the same time, the firm looks for companies that provide long-term growth opportunities that have a positive impact on the environment and society while generating strong financial returns.

Some investment themes under its strategy include clean energy, infrastructure, clean water, building tech, low-emission transport, resource efficiency and life-cycle management. Sustainability and impact investing are also important to Vontobel.

Vontobel is also actively integrating artificial intelligence into its work processes across three areas: customization, productivity and decisionmaking. The firm uses AI to tailor personalized investment advice to clients and also to automate complex and repetitive operational tasks, as well as to expand the range of companies of companies that it can consider for investment.

Finalists

• LGIM America