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Total AUMAvg. PM Years ExperienceYears Since Inception
$540.0M 3417
As of September 30 2026

Strategy Average Annual Total Returns

(%)2
YTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years
Gross of Fees 7.17 7.98 19.07 12.11 14.47 14.61
Net of Fees 6.65 7.29 18.31 11.40 13.76 13.89
S&P 500 Index 12.75 15.74 22.89 13.79 16.17 15.33
As of September 30 2026
  

Overview

The Appreciation ESG Strategy seeks to balance upside return potential with downside risk protection by investing in high-quality large cap stocks with positive ESG attributes.

Strategy OverviewPrimarily large cap, blue chip companies that meet ESG criteria
BenchmarkS&P 500 Index
Total Strategy AUM $540.0M
Holdings Range 50-801
Objective Seeks long-term appreciation of capital3

Investment Philosophy

The managers seek to provide long-term consistent and competitive risk-adjusted returns by balancing upside participation in good markets while trying to limit downside risk in difficult markets.

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Strategy Facts

An active focus on risk management has led to lower levels of risk and volatility than the benchmark over the same time periods.

Literature & Perspectives

Sustainability a Key Factor for Data Centers
Appreciation ESG 3Q26: The growth of AI and data centers increasingly depends on managing power, water and community impacts, creating opportunities for companies providing more sustainable infrastructure.
Lofty Multiples Leave Little Room for Error
Appreciation ESG 2Q26: Animal spirits remain elevated, with momentum stocks increasingly held by a more levered investor base at valuations leaving little margin for error.
Current Conditions Argue for Caution
Appreciation ESG 1Q26: In our view, the “buy the dip” mindset that was so successful over the past decade looks less reliable in an environment where inflation risk, policy uncertainty and labor market softening are all rising simultaneously.
Backdrop for Risk Assets Is Positive
Appreciation ESG 3Q25: The backdrop for stocks remains constructive, although speculative risks are building alongside untenable valuations.
Backdrop for Risk Assets Is Positive
Appreciation ESG 2Q25: Despite our relatively cautious stance, tighter credit spreads and greater market breadth suggest the backdrop for risk assets remains decidedly positive.
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Vehicles

This Strategy is available in other investment vehicles including the following:

Investment Process

  • Screen large cap stocks with an emphasis on identifying dominant, high-quality companies
  • Evaluate stocks through proprietary research that integrates environmental, social and governance factors with fundamental characteristics, pinpointing companies with dominant market positions, proven management teams and superior balance sheets
  • Construct portfolio of stocks with attractive growth characteristics relative to their valuation levels
  • Continuously review holdings, monitoring risk, valuation and potential buys and sells

Appreciation ESG Strategy Performance

An emphasis on risk management has produced strong risk-adjusted returns.

Average Annual Total Returns (%)2

YTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years
Gross of Fees 7.17 7.98 19.07 12.11 14.47 14.61
Net of Fees 6.65 7.29 18.31 11.40 13.76 13.89
S&P 500 Index 12.75 15.74 22.89 13.79 16.17 15.33
Created with Highcharts 9.3.36.65​6.657.29​7.2918.31​18.3111.4​11.413.76​13.7613.89​13.897.17​7.177.98​7.9819.07​19.0712.11​12.1114.47​14.4714.61​14.6112.75​12.7515.74​15.7422.89​22.8913.79​13.7916.17​16.1715.33​15.33Net of FeesGross of FeesS&P 500 IndexYTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years

Characteristics

An ESG focus contributes to the Strategy typically taking on less risk than its benchmark.

Sector Weights1,2

Representative PortfolioS&P 500 Index
Information Technology30.5639.74
Financials10.8211.41
Consumer Staples10.554.45
Communication Services9.339.96
Health Care8.699.26
Consumer Discretionary8.408.61
Industrials8.288.05
Materials4.621.54
Energy4.073.40
Utilities1.871.88
Real Estate0.771.70
Cash2.060.00
Created with Highcharts 9.3.330.56​30.5610.82​10.8210.55​10.559.33​9.338.69​8.698.40​8.408.28​8.284.62​4.624.07​4.071.87​1.870.77​0.772.06​2.0639.74​39.7411.41​11.414.45​4.459.96​9.969.26​9.268.61​8.618.05​8.051.54​1.543.40​3.401.88​1.881.70​1.700.00​0.00Representative PortfolioS&P 500 IndexInformation​TechnologyFinancialsConsumer StaplesCommunication​ServicesHealth CareConsumer​DiscretionaryIndustrialsMaterialsEnergyUtilitiesReal EstateCash
Portfolio Characteristics1,2
Characteristics Representative Portfolio S&P 500 Index
P/E Ratio (trailing 12 mos.)26.624.7
P/E Ratio (forward 12 mos.)23.121.2
Price/Book9.69.5
EPS Growth Next 3-5 Years (%)19.424.1
Weighted Median Market Cap ($ bn)637.6462.2
Weighted Average Market Cap ($ bn)1465.41552.1
ROE27.423.4
Dividend Yield1.01.1
Turnover (trailing 12 mos.)31.8-
Risk Statistics1
10 Year Risk Statistics Composite S&P 500 Index
Standard Deviation (%)13.79 15.36
Sharpe Ratio0.84 0.85
Tracking Error (%)3.49 --
R20.95 --
Alpha (%)0.10 --
Beta0.88 --
Top 10 Holdings1
Characteristics % of Total Representative Portfolio
NVIDIA Corp7.02
Alphabet Inc6.74
Apple Inc5.92
Amazon.com Inc5.00
Microsoft Corp4.83
Costco Wholesale Corp4.07
Advanced Micro Devices Inc2.92
JPMorgan Chase & Co2.86
Eli Lilly & Co2.81
Broadcom Inc2.50
Total44.68
Total Number of Holdings 57
  • 1 Source: FactSet. Representative portfolio characteristics, holdings, sector weightings and market cap are based on a representative portfolio and are subject to change at any time. Holdings, sector weightings, market cap and portfolio characteristics of individual client portfolios may differ, sometimes significantly, from those shown. This information does not constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice or recommendations with respect to the securities and sectors listed. Statistics shown are net of fees.
    2 Past performance is no guarantee of future results. See GIPS endnotes. Performance is preliminary and subject to change.
    3 There is no guarantee that the Strategy's objective will be met.
    P/E ratios are weighted harmonic average. Price/Book is weighted average.
    * Data (excluding AUM and Market Cap) in GBP. 

  • Performance source: Internal. Benchmark source: Standard & Poor's.

  • ClearBridge Investments, LLC claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®). ClearBridge Investments, LLC ("ClearBridge") is a wholly- owned indirect subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, Inc. ("Franklin"), which acquired ClearBridge's former parent, Legg Mason, Inc., in July 2020. The firm's foundation and claim of GIPS compliance date back to January 1997 through predecessor firms associated with Citigroup Asset Management, which was acquired in 2005. Since combining its institutional and retail businesses into a single GIPS firm in June 2008, ClearBridge has expanded through the integration of Global Currents Investment Management (April 2013), ClearBridge, LLC ( January 2016), ClearBridge Investments Limited (May 2020), and the Equity Teams of Franklin Bissett Asset Management (January 2024). Most recently, the firm announced the integration of Martin Currie (MC) in 2025. For GIPS purposes, the business was organized into three distinct Strategies, MC Emerging Markets, MC Australian Equities, and MC UK Equities. MC Emerging Markets was completed in November 2025, MC UK Equities was completed in March 2026, and MC Australian Equities was completed in June 2026. GIPS compliance was claimed and ported individually for each MC team, where applicable.

  • The ClearBridge Appreciation ESG Composite invests primarily in medium and large capitalization companies, but may also invest in small capitalization companies. The manager seeks investments among a strong core of growth and value stocks, consisting primarily of blue chip companies dominant in their industries. The managers actively integrate criteria inclusive of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into the portfolio construction of the strategy. The ESG Investment Program includes active company engagement for purposes of advocacy and improved corporate practices. Results are calculated in U.S. dollars. The S&P 500 Index is a broad-based measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average performance of 500 widely held common stocks. To receive a complete list and description of ClearBridge composites and/or a presentation that adheres to the GIPS standards, please contact ClearBridge Institutional Marketing.

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