Middlefield Announces Approval of Proposed Changes to Reduce ESG Limitations for Two ETFs
31 January 2025 - 10:15AM
Middlefield Limited (the “Manager”), the manager of Middlefield
Sustainable Global Dividend ETF (TSX:MDIV) and Middlefield
Sustainable Infrastructure Dividend ETF (TSX:MINF) (collectively,
the “Funds”), is pleased to announce that at the Special Meetings
held on January 30, 2025, unitholders voted unanimously in favour
of the proposed changes to the Funds. These changes include
revising the names, investment objectives, and strategies of the
Funds to de-emphasize the environmental, sustainability, and
governance (“ESG”) factors associated with the Funds. While the
Funds will continue to consider ESG criteria when selecting issuers
for their portfolios, they will no longer prioritize these factors
over others such as valuation, growth projections, and the quality
and track record of the management team. The Manager believes these
changes will broaden the investment universe of the Funds,
potentially leading to better returns for investors. The Funds will
file a Prospectus by April 10, 2025, at which point each of the
Funds will revise their name as shown below. There will be no
change to the ticker symbols of the Funds.
Ticker Symbol |
Current Name |
Revised Name |
MDIV |
Middlefield Sustainable Global Dividend ETF |
Middlefield Global Dividend Growers ETF |
MINF |
Middlefield Sustainable Infrastructure Dividend ETF |
Middlefield Global Infrastructure Dividend ETF |
|
|
|
The Manager notes that similar efforts to
de-emphasize ESG factors have been undertaken by many asset
management companies, including BlackRock, State Street, JPMorgan,
and Pimco. Recent research from Morningstar has shown that more
funds are removing rather than adding ESG mandates from their
investment practices. On March 7, 2024, the Canadian Securities
Administrators introduced three categories of ESG-Related Funds:
ESG Objective Funds, ESG Strategy Funds, and ESG Limited
Consideration Funds. Each category has distinct expectations
regarding the emphasis on ESG factors in investment decisions. The
Manager believes that the proposed changes will result in the Funds
moving from the ESG Objective Funds category to the ESG Limited
Consideration category.
About MiddlefieldFounded in
1979, Middlefield is a specialist equity income asset manager with
offices in Toronto, Canada and London, England. Our investment team
utilizes active management to select high-quality, global companies
across a variety of sectors and themes. Our product offerings
include proven dividend-focused strategies that span real estate,
healthcare, innovation, infrastructure, energy, diversified income
and more. We offer these solutions in a variety of product types
including ETFs, Mutual Funds, Split-Share Funds, Closed-End Funds
and Flow-through LPs.
For further information, please visit our
website at www.middlefield.com or contact Nancy Tham in our
Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.
This press release contains forward-looking
information. Any statements that express or involve discussions
with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans,
intentions, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events
or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such
as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "plans", "estimates" or
"intends" (or negative or grammatical variations thereof), or
stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could",
"would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not
statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking
statements. Statements which may constitute forward-looking
statements relate to: the proposed timing of the name, objectives
and strategies changes and completion thereof; the potential
benefits of such changes; and the holding of the unitholder
meeting. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of
risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results
to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements
including as a result of changes in the general economic and
political environment, changes in applicable legislation, and the
performance of each fund. Additional risks, uncertainties and other
factors that could influence actual results are described under
“Risk Factors” in the ETFs’ prospectus and other documents filed by
the ETFs with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The
forward-looking information contained in this press release
constitutes the ETFs’ current estimate, as of the date of this
press release, with respect to the matters covered hereby.
Investors and others should not assume that any forward-looking
statement contained in this press release represents the ETFs’
estimate as of any date other than the date of this press
release.
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