Loomis, Sayles & Company, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers, announced in a press release the addition of an eight-person European credit team. They are launching three euro credit investment strategies, which are now available for institutional separate account management: Loomis Sayles Euro Investment Grade Credit, Loomis Sayles Euro Sustainable Investment Grade Credit and Loomis Sayles Euro High Yield.
The team is based in Loomis Sayles’ new European office, Loomis Sayles & Company, L.P. – Dutch Branch, located in Utrecht, Netherlands. It will be co-led by portfolio managers Rik den Hartog and Pim van Mourik Broekman, who join from Kempen Capital Management.
The other members of the team are portfolio managers Luuk Cummins, Sipke Moes, Quirijn Landman, Marco Zanotto, Ronald Schep; and the product manager Jeroen Potma.
“We believe the Euro Credit team has the potential to add something unique and exceptional to our organization. We are excited to welcome them to Loomis Sayles and establish our presence in the Netherlands. “Similar to all Loomis Sayles investment teams, their investment process is rooted in a differentiated investment philosophy, which has a strong track record of alpha generation”, said Kevin Charleston, chairman and CEO.
Top-down and bottom-up
Loomis Sayles pointed out that the foundational belief that underlies all of the team’s strategies is that credit markets are inefficient and rigorous research can access opportunities. The team seeks to generate alpha by combining a top-down view with bottom-up investment analysis when constructing portfolios. They feature a strong risk orientation and focus on quality, and ESG analysis is incorporated into the fundamental research. Additionally, the team takes an active engagement approach with issuers and uses their investor influence to shape corporate behaviors.
Chris Yiannakou, head of EMEA institutional services, believes that the three strategies they are launching play an important role in their investment lineup, particularly for their “large and growing” book of clients in Europe and the Middle East, for whom European credit and ESG are critical components of their portfolios. “These investors have a stellar reputation and we’re pleased to offer them a competitive and truly differentiated investment capability that complements our diverse product suite and reinforces our global reputation for investment excellence”, he added.
Pim van Mourik Broekman, co-head of the team, said that Loomis Sayles is a “well-respected” active asset management firm with a powerful global distribution platform. “We are very enthusiastic about joining the organization”, he commented.
Meanwhile, Rik den Hartog, declared to be “impressed” with the professionalism, infrastructure and international character of Loomis Sayles. “We look forward to playing an integral role in building out a broader European presence for the firm”, he concluded.
For Marcelo Soba
For Magdalena Martínez