Features

MyNews

What if you could track the flow of news on your portfolio companies based on key ESG issues, such as emission reduction and human rights?

The assetmasterProfessional™ MyNews functionality enables users to dynamically monitor the news flow for any or all ASSET4 pillars and categories, such as emission reduction, human rights and health & safety. These criteria can be monitored for a single company, portfolio, sector or geographic region giving users the ability to dynamically monitor events based on very specific ESG criteria. To see a sample screenshot, click here.

One-Click ESG Interface

What if you could create a customisable ESG company profile with a single click of your mouse?

The new one-click ESG interface allows users to generate easy-to-read analysis and benchmarking reports on the ESG performance of a company against its peers based on 90 customisable KPIs with a single click of the mouse. The interface has two default KPI configurations: ESG (based the ASSET4 pillars) or COSO (based COSO 2 risk management categories), with additional configurations available upon request. The one-click ESG functionality simplifies visualising, benchmarking and understanding this, at times, complex information by using simple colours to quickly highlight KPIs that are in the top 25%, middle 50% or bottom 25% within the benchmark. To see a sample screenshot, click here.

Excel Add-In

What if you could extract key ESG KPIs or data points and integrate them directly in Excel spreadsheets for further analysis and reporting?

The Excel Add-In enables users through a few simple Excel functions, such as A4GetInfo and A4GetValue, to "slice and dice" any of the 900 data points or 250 key performance indicators into their standard work day reports and analysis. Once the ASSET4 data is in the Excel file, users can, of course, generate any type of report or graph they normally produce with Excel.  To see an example of some ESG analysis that was generated with the Add-In, click here.

Reports

To enable users to access the ASSET4 information, the system has a wide range of online and offline reports that can be used to view the default framework or a user’s customised assessments. The three basic online reports are the Company, MyPortfolio and Ranking reports. In addition through the MyReports capability, users can create customised Company Summary, Strengths/Weaknesses and Detailed Data  Reports, as well as Portfolio and Ranking Reports.

Benchmarking

Within the ASSET4 system, information is never viewed in isolation, but always in comparison to a benchmark. Users can either select a sector or industry as a benchmark or evaluate the performance of one company versus another to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the company they are focusing on.

Zooming Into the Data

With the ASSET4 system users have access to every level of the default or user-customised information framework. This process can be compared to a digital map in which users zoom in or zoom out to different levels of granularity in order to find exactly what they are looking for. One of the keys to the transparency of the ASSET4 system is that every data point and its source are available to our users for tracking and auditing, enabling them to trust and trace our data for their most important decisions.

Tracking a Portfolio (with assetmasterProfessional)

The MyPortfolio capability enables users to track and monitor the performance of a number of companies, while at the same time providing a platform from which to analyse the performance of each individual company as well.

Creating a Customised Framework

The ASSET4 system enables users to select specific data points and indicators required to generate a customised assessment reflecting their investment criteria or highlighting specific themes like climate change preparedness, human resource capital, eco-efficiency, governance, etc.

Through a combination of the MyIndicators and MyRatings capabilities users can create customised views of the ASSET4 information. With these individualised perspectives users can track and evaluate whatever issues they believe are crucial to the success of the companies they are analysing. As the name implies, the MyIndicators capability allows users to create their own indicators by defining what data points they want to include and how those data points should be evaluated. The MyRatings capability allows users to either select a unique subset of the default ASSET4 data structure or in combination with MyIndicators create a totally new way of viewing and evaluating the ASSET4 information.

Integrating the ASSET4 Information

An important aspect of using the ASSET4 information in day-to-day investment decision-making processes is having the ability to export the data and include it within standard analysis processes. The MyExport functionality is one way that users can select companies and specific data elements to export into an Excel or XML file. The ASSET4 system also comes with an Excel Add-In (as mentioned above) that allows users to select individual ASSET4 data fields and incorporate them directly in an Excel worksheet.