Erste Asset Management launches first two ESG-screened ETFs

Erste Asset Management launched two exchange-traded funds on Xetra on July 16, 2026. The ERSTE ETF GLOBAL EQUITIES UCITS ETF (ticker EEGF) and ERSTE ETF US EQUITIES UCITS ETF (ticker ESUF) provide developed-market global and US large-cap equity exposure and are classified as Article 8 under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).

Both ETFs track Solactive indices. The global fund follows the Solactive Developed Markets Large Cap 250 Base EUR Index and the US fund follows the Solactive USA Large Cap 250 Base USD Index. Each index is built to include 250 of the largest securities drawn from Solactive’s GBS large- and mid-cap universes and applies liquidity and price-history tests; the developed markets index also applies specific country and currency eligibility rules. The indices are reviewed and rebalanced on a semi-annual basis.

The indices apply a baseline sustainability screen based on a whitelist defined by Erste Asset Management. An optimization step in the index construction is used to help minimise ex-ante tracking error versus the relevant benchmark while preserving diversification across holdings.

Erste Asset Management acts as investment manager for the funds. Carne Group serves as the management company and platform partner. Both products are UCITS-compliant.

Timo Pfeiffer, Chief Markets Officer at Solactive, commented: “We are pleased to support Erste Asset Management in the launch of its first ETF range and in bringing the first ETFs with an Austrian investment manager to market. With these two index solutions, we provide transparent access to global and U.S. equity markets through a rules-based methodology that combines broad large-cap exposure with clearly defined sustainability criteria.” Heinz Bednar, CEO of Erste Asset Management, added: “With the new Erste ETFs, we are creating simple and transparent access to the global and US equity markets. They are suitable as long-term building blocks in a portfolio and combine the advantages of exchange-traded index funds with Erste Asset Management’s sustainability approach.” Daniel Osborne, Managing Director and Head of ETF Solutions at Carne Group, noted that Carne will provide regulatory, governance and operational infrastructure for the products and will work with Solactive to support the ETFs’ ongoing operations.

Both ETFs trade on Xetra under the tickers EEGF and ESUF and aim to offer listed, rules-based exposure to large-cap equities while applying a baseline ESG filter defined by Erste Asset Management.