Hartford Funds Launches Its First Sustainable Investing-Focused Fixed Income ETF

WAYNE, Pa.--()--Hartford Funds today announced the launch of an actively managed, ESG-focused fixed income exchange-traded fund (“ETF”), Hartford Sustainable Income ETF (CBOE: HSUN), which will be sub-advised by Wellington Management Company LLP. HSUN seeks to provide current income and long-term total return, within a sustainability framework. HSUN will invest across an array of fixed income sectors including High Yield, Investment Grade, Bank Loans, and Emerging Market Debt. In addition, the ETF will incorporate a sustainability framework as part of its principal investment strategy. The ETF will track its performance against the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. HSUN will be managed by the same portfolio management team that currently manages The Hartford Strategic Income Fund. Campe Goodman, Joseph F. Marvan, and Robert Burn will serve as the ETF’s portfolio managers.

“We are excited to launch a multi-sector bond fund that uses a sustainable investing approach in an ETF structure,” said Vernon Meyer, Chief Investment Officer at Hartford Funds. “The launch of this actively managed ETF product further demonstrates our commitment to providing options that not only help investors seek to achieve their long-term investment goals, but also provide investors with the opportunity to invest in a product that uses a sustainable investing approach.”

Wellington Management will use its internally developed sustainability framework to identify issuers it believes have demonstrated a commitment to sustainable practices. These issuers include those that Wellington believes can have a positive social and/or environmental impact, are leaders or are demonstrating improvement in ESG characteristics based on Wellington’s proprietary insights, and/or those that Wellington engages with on ESG characteristics to improve ESG disclosure and best practices.

HSUN is listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

For more information about the Hartford Sustainable Income ETF, please visit hartfordfunds.com.

About Hartford Funds
Founded in 1996, Hartford Funds is a leading asset manager, which provides mutual funds, ETFs, and 529 college savings plans. Using its human-centric investing approach, Hartford Funds creates strategies and tools designed to address the needs and wants of investors. Leveraging partnerships with leading experts, Hartford Funds delivers insight into the latest demographic trends and investor behavior.

The firm’s product line-up includes more than 50 mutual funds and ETFs in a variety of styles and asset classes. Its mutual funds (with the exception of certain fund of funds) are sub-advised by Wellington Management or Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. The strategic beta ETFs offered by Hartford Funds are designed to help address investors’ evolving needs by leveraging a unique risk-optimized approach, which identifies risks within each asset class and then deliberately and systematically re-allocates capital toward risks more likely to enhance return potential. Excluding affiliated funds of funds, as of June 30, 2021, Hartford Funds’ investment advisory business had approximately $153.8 billion in discretionary and non-discretionary assets under management. For more information about our investment family, visit http://www.hartfordfunds.com.

About Wellington Management
Tracing its history to 1928, Wellington Management is one of the world’s largest independent investment management firms, serving as a trusted adviser to over 3,200 clients in more than 60 countries. The firm manages more than US$1 trillion for pensions, endowments and foundations, insurers, family offices, fund sponsors, global wealth managers, and other clients. As a private partnership whose only business is investment management, the firm is able to align its long-term views and interests with those of its clients. The firm offers comprehensive investment management capabilities that span nearly all segments of the global capital markets, including equity, fixed income, multi[1]asset, and alternative strategies. With more than 800 investment professionals located in offices around the world, Wellington pairs deep multi-disciplinary research resources with independent investment teams operating in an entrepreneurial “boutique” environment. For more information, please visit wellington.com.

HIG-W
Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in The Hartford’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings The Hartford makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

From time to time, The Hartford may use its website to disseminate material company information. Financial and other important information regarding The Hartford is routinely accessible through and posted on our website at http://ir.thehartford.com. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about The Hartford when you enroll your email address by visiting the "Email Alerts" section at http://ir.thehartford.com.

Important Risks: The Fund is new and has a limited operating history. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Security prices fluctuate in value depending on general market and economic conditions and the prospects of individual companies. The net asset value (NAV) of the Fund's shares may fluctuate due to changes in the market value of the Fund's holdings. The Fund's share price may fluctuate due to changes in the relative supply of and demand for the shares on an exchange. The Fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. • Fixed income security risks include credit, liquidity, call, duration, and interest-rate risk. As interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall. • Investments in high-yield ("junk") bonds involve greater risk of price volatility, illiquidity, and default than higher-rated debt securities. • Foreign investments may be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. investments and are subject to the risk of currency fluctuations and adverse political, economic and regulatory developments. These risks may be greater, and include additional risks, for investments in emerging markets. • Derivatives are generally more volatile and sensitive to changes in market or economic conditions than other securities; their risks include currency, leverage, liquidity, index, pricing, regulatory and counterparty risk. • The risks associated with mortgage-related and asset-backed securities include credit, interest-rate, prepayment, liquidity, default and extension risk. • The purchase of securities in the To-Be-Announced (TBA) market can result in higher portfolio turnover and related expenses as well as price and counterparty risk. • Restricted securities may be more difficult to sell and price than other securities. • Loans can be difficult to value and less liquid than other types of debt instruments; they are also subject to nonpayment, collateral, bankruptcy, default, extension, prepayment and insolvency risks. • Obligations of U.S. Government agencies are supported by varying degrees of credit but are generally not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. • Applying sustainability criteria to the investment process may result in foregoing certain investments and underperformance comparative to funds that do not have a similar focus. There is a risk that the securities identified by the sub-adviser as meeting its sustainable investing criteria do not operate as anticipated.• The Fund may have high portfolio turnover, which could increase its transaction costs and an investor's tax liability. • In certain instances, unlike other ETFs, the Fund may effect creations and redemptions partly or wholly for cash, rather than in-kind, which may make the Fund less tax-efficient and incur more fees than an ETF that primarily or wholly effects creations and redemptions in-kind.

ETFs are not mutual funds. Unlike traditional open-ended mutual funds, ETF shares are bought and sold in the secondary market through a stockbroker. ETFs trade on major stock exchanges and their prices will fluctuate throughout the day. Both ETFs and mutual funds are subject to risk and volatility.

Investors should carefully consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in the fund’s prospectus and summary prospectus, which can be obtained by visiting hartfordfunds.com. Please read it carefully before investing.

Mutual funds are distributed by Hartford Funds Distributors, LLC (HFD), Member FINRA. Exchange-traded products are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc. (ALPS). Advisory services may be provided by Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC (HFMC) or its wholly owned subsidiary, Lattice Strategies LLC (Lattice). Certain funds are sub-advised by Wellington Management Company LLP and/or Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd. serves as a secondary sub-adviser to certain funds. Hartford Funds refers to HFD, HFMC, and Lattice, which are not affiliated with any sub-adviser or ALPS.

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Contacts

Media Contact:
Kayce D’Onofrio
646.818.9247
kdonofrio@prosek.com