After our stop in Stockholm last month to visit investor clients with our Nuveen and Arcmont colleagues (and after our scheduled meetings in Finland were postponed by a baggage handlers’ strike at Helsinki-Vantaa airport), we gathered at Copenhagen’s Hotel d’Angleterre for an event showcasing alternative strategies. 

The Nordics share several similarities – the “Nordic model” – including high standards of living, free-market economies, liberal welfare states, and a relatively narrow gap between low and high earners. We also noted (after our Finnish experience) a strong union trend. 

One of our senior strategists further commented on a common belief system around environment, society, and governance. “What stood out in my mind after our trip,” he told us, “was the degree to which they talk the talk, but also walk the walk, on ESG. Both in how they invest, and how they live.” A lot of bike-friendly commuting lanes, as one prime example.