In moments of uncertainty, like the current ones, is when opportunities appear. Banco Sabadell has not wanted to miss out on the possibility of providing more and better services to its customers, which led it to seal a strategic agreement with Amundi in 2020 that has allowed it to complement the investment fund offer with differential products compared to its competitors. . “With Amundi we share the same philosophy, which always places customers at the center of all investment and product design decisions,” says Antonio Saiz, director of Savings-Investment Offer at Banco Sabadell.
Amundi is the largest investment fund manager in Europe. It distributes its products in markets as diverse and demanding as France, Italy, Germany, etc., “which allows it to learn about and share with its partners the best practices that are carried out in other countries”. Another noteworthy element is the extensive training capabilities it offers both for clients and bankers, which can range from explaining what sustainable investment can contribute to, how biases in our investment decisions (behavioral finance) can affect us or the importance of periodic contributions to reduce the volatility of investment and make our savings grow” adds Saiz.
Another of the advantages that Amundi brings to Banco Sabadell is its management capacity. Amundi’s size allows it to have top-level specialized teams both by asset (variable income, government fixed income, private fixed income, etc.), and by geographical area (from the main developed to emerging markets) as well as by strategies new investment options such as partial guarantee, target return or thematic investments.
Both Banco Sabadell and Amundi are fully committed to sustainability. Amundi stands out for having teams specialized in sustainable investment and for its rigorous quantitative and qualitative processes that guarantee that its funds meet the most demanding
sustainability standards. Throughout this year, this has allowed the main Sabadell Asset Management funds (such as Sabadell Rendimiento, Gama InverSabadell or Gama Perfilados) to have obtained article 8 of the SFDR regulation that recognizes the funds that promote
social and environmental characteristics. One last factor to highlight is the rigor in management “which means that the results obtained by investment funds are above the average for funds in their category in the medium term”, remarks the director of Savings Offer -Investment by Banco Sabadell.
As Antonio Saiz explains, the strong increase in inflation has forced central banks to normalize rates faster than they had anticipated. “The result is that for the first time since 2016 the possibility of offering investment products that offer attractive returns to the most conservative clients has been opened up,” says this expert. Along these lines, Banco Sabadell successfully launched a first guaranteed fund in September (Sabadell Garantía Fija 18, with 1,151 million euros) and another at the end of November (Sabadell Garantía Fija 19) within its guaranteed funds programme.
The Director of Customer Strategy at Banco Sabadell, Federico Servetto, adds that, although we are still in turbulent times for the markets, “there are some positive signs, such as that inflation is beginning to come under control and that the central banks will pause raising types”. “However, he – he adds – possibly during the next year several economies will see a contraction in their economic activity.” Servetto considers it necessary to focus investments on fixed-income assets, such as monetary assets, public debt or corporate bonds with a high credit quality, and on stock markets, the focus should be on thematic ideas linked to sustainability and transition and energy independence.
