Thomson Reuters to push ESG data out to 45,000 buy and sell-side analyst clients

Thomson Reuters is to push out environmental social and governance (ESG) data to about 45,000 buy & sell side investment analyst clients via its Datastream service as its ramps up its move into the sector following its acquisition a year ago of Asset4, the Swiss ESG research house. The company said it would include a subset of Asset4’s data on Datastream, a set of cross-asset analysis tools, from the first quarter of 2011. Henrik Steffensen, vice president marketing and business development at Asset4, said analysts would be able to access quantitative ESG data and use it to make correlations with existing financial information. He said analyst clients would not have access to further information such as Asset4’s policy reports or more specialist ESG information, which will remain premium products.Thomson Reuters bought ASSET4 in November, 2009 for an undisclosed amount amidst a wave of consolidation in the ESG research sector. Earlier this year, it also acquired Oslo-based environmental market data and analytics provider Point Carbon for an undisclosed sum. The firm recently signed up to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. Steffensen said Thomson Reuters had retained 135 staff from Asset4 following the deal, including analysts in India and Mauritius. He said there were no plans to increase that headcount. Eija Hietavuo, head of business management, CEMA, investment management & research at Thomson Reuters, who was closely involved in the deal to acquire Asset4 has left Thomson Reuters to pursue further academic studies.