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What is the Stewardship Code?

The UK Stewardship Code is a set of principles and guidance for institutional investors which represents current best practice on how they should perform their stewardship duties.

The purpose of the Code is to improve the quality of engagement between institutional investors and companies to help improve long-term returns to shareholders and the efficient exercise of governance responsibilities.

The Code was published by the Financial Reporting Council in July 2010, and will continue to be overseen by the FRC. Commitment to the Code is on a “comply or explain” basis.

At its simplest, stewardship is the responsibility to take care of something in one’s keeping. In this case, it involves the effort and activities undertaken by and on behalf of institutional shareholders to monitor, engage and intervene on matters that may affect the long term value of companies and the capital invested in them. This can include tackling strategy, performance, corporate governance, environmental and social issues that may materially affect the future sustainability of companies.

Links to related information

	On our website
Our Stewardship Policy
Corporate Governance home page
Corporate Governance and Corporate Responsibility Voting Policy
Voting & Engagement disclosures
Investment tutor
Georgina Marshall Interview on the Stewardship Code
	On the FRC website
FRC website (Stewardship Code)
FRC website (UK Corporate Governance Code)

This code is primarily applied to relevant investments managed from the UK. For further clarification please contact one of the team.