Ben Faulkner · 10 November 2026
EQ Investors (EQ), has launched two multi-asset funds in partnership with Nordea Asset Management. The funds give advisers access to EQ’s responsible, low-cost strategy – EQ Future Leaders, in a single, risk-rated holding. The strategy aims to deliver market-like returns.
The range comprises the Nordea EQ Future Leaders Multi-Asset Balanced Fund and the Nordea EQ Future Leaders Multi-Asset Adventurous Fund, each available on platforms for ISAs, SIPPs, GIAs and offshore bonds.
The funds combine EQ’s investment strategy and multi-asset expertise with Nordea’s strength in responsible investment and fund management. EQ designed the approach, and its investment team steers the funds as strategic adviser: setting asset allocation, monitoring the funds’ responsible investment characteristics and reporting to advisers and their clients.
Nordea, one of Europe’s leading responsible investment managers, runs the funds day to day, managing operations, liquidity and regulatory governance. Their BetaPlus Enhanced investment methodology will also be a key part of the Fund’s value proposition. With a 16-year track record and over €120 billion in assets under management, it has a proven record of delivering resilient long-term performance with limited active risk.
With a dual mandate to deliver long-term capital growth at low cost while investing responsibly, the new funds use the same ESG-screened, sustainable investment methodology that underpins EQ’s award-winning Future Leaders portfolios.
The strategy excludes 10 harmful business activities, including armaments, fossil fuel extraction, tobacco and gambling, with specific thresholds applied across all funds and asset classes. It also screens out ESG laggards in each sector and companies that violate international norms.
Its equity allocation targets a higher average ESG score and a lower carbon footprint than the MSCI All Country World WI Index.
Stewardship is a central part of the strategy. EQ and Nordea work closely together on voting and company engagement, and EQ collaborates with organisations including ShareAction to push for higher standards.
The new funds will complement EQ’s model portfolio service (MPS) range, which has more than £2bn in assets under management.
The Nordea EQ Future Leaders Multi-Asset Balanced Fund will target a 60% equity exposure and the Nordea EQ Future Leaders Multi-Asset Adventurous Fund an 80% equity exposure.
The funds will offer two share classes: a founder share class and a standard share class. Early investors can access the founder share class, which carries an ongoing charges figure (OCF) of 0.35% for both funds.
Sophie Kennedy, Joint CEO at EQ Investors said:
“There’s a real gap in this market. Too many responsible investment strategies fall short of what clients would reasonably expect, and we want to set a higher standard. We’ve spent more than a decade building our approach to sustainable and responsible investing, and these funds bring that experience to advisers in a single holding.
“You’d expect a responsible fund to exclude controversial sectors consistently, but looking across the market, that often isn’t the case. Our screening is applied the same way across every fund and every asset class, and we bring the same rigour to how we vote and engage with companies.
“Investing responsibly shouldn’t mean taking unnecessary risks with returns. When you exclude certain sectors and companies, a portfolio can behave differently from the wider market in the short term. Over the past five years we’ve invested heavily in managing that, so clients can invest in line with their values while still aiming for market-like returns over time.
“For clients looking for a low-cost, responsible investment, we believe this is the strongest proposition available.
“Nordea shares our focus on putting client outcomes first, and it’s been a pleasure working with them.”
David Crawford, Head of Nordea Asset Management UK, added:
“We’re thrilled to be working with EQ Investors and see it as a wonderful opportunity to partner with a like-minded firm that is leading the way in sustainable investing.
“We’ve seen huge demand for low-cost sustainable portfolios that deliver strong, consistent risk-adjusted returns against traditional benchmarks, and we believe this partnership brings something new to the market.