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Category: Commentary

Periodic research covering the financial performance of markets in general and sustainable mutual funds, ETFs and other investment products in particular over short, intermediate and long-term time horizons.  Commentary extends as well to non-financial sustainability outcomes and societal impacts.

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Sustainable investment funds performance wrap-up: January 2025

The Bottom Line:  The broad stock market recovered from December’s decline while bonds as well as focused sustainable mutual funds and ETFs achieved partial recoveries. The broad stock market gained 2.78% while bonds added 0.53% in the first month of 2025 After a challenging December when the broad market gave up 2.38%, stocks got off […]

Sustainable investment funds performance wrap-up: December 2024

The Bottom Line:  Large-cap US stocks delivered another outstanding gain of 25.02% in 2024 while focused sustainable long-term funds added a weighted average of 13.6%. Large-cap US stocks gave up 2.4% in December but delivered their fourth best annual gain of 25.02% over the last decade Even as the month of December ended on a […]

Sustainable investing performance wrap-up – July 2024

The Bottom Line:  Bonds outperformed the S&P 500 while small cap and value stocks led; a selection of ESG indices largely underperformed their conventional counterparts. Bonds outperformed the broad stock market while small cap stocks and value stocks shine The S&P 500 posted its best single day return of the month, up 1.58%, on July […]

Performance wrap up-May 2024

The Bottom Line:  May was a strong month for stocks as well as bond market indices while sustainable investment funds recorded an average 3.7% gain. Notes of Explanation: Data as of May 2024. Only the top or bottom share classes are displayed in the case of mutual funds with multiple share classes. Source: Morningstar Direct […]

Stock and bond fund investors benefited from a rebound in 2023

The Bottom Line:  Investors who held on to stocks after the decline of 18% in 2022 were rewarded but bond investors need more recovery time. Markets continued to rally in December and equities in particular delivered unexpectedly strong gains in 2023 Markets continued to rally in December, fueled by the combination of a strong economy […]

Performance wrap up-November 2023

The Bottom Line:  Positive sentiment in November pushed stock prices higher in the US and overseas while bond prices registered gains as yields declined sharply.        Top and bottom performing mutual funds and ETFs as of November 30, 2023 Notes of Explanation: For mutual funds with multiple share classes, only the best or worst […]

Research

Research and analysis to keep sustainable investors up to-date on a broad range of topics that include trends and developments in sustainable investing and sustainable finance, regulatory updates, performance results and considerations, investing through index funds and actively managed portfolios, asset allocation updates, expenses, ESG ratings and data, company and product news, green, social and sustainable bonds, green bond funds as well as reporting and disclosure practices, to name just a few.

A continuously updated Funds Directory is also available to investors.  This is intended to become a comprehensive listing of sustainable mutual funds, ETFs and other investment products along with a description of their sustainable investing approaches as set out in fund prospectuses and related regulatory filings.

Getting started

Many questions have surfaced in recent years regarding sustainable and ESG investing.  Here, investors and financial intermediaries will find materials that describe the various approaches to sustainable investing and their implementation.  While sustainable investing approaches vary and they have thus far defied universally accepted definitions, many practitioners agree that they fall into the following broad categories:  Values-based investing, investing via exclusions, impact investing, thematic investments and ESG integration.  In conjunction with each of these approaches, investors may also adopt various issuer engagement procedures and proxy voting practices.  That said, sustainable investing approaches will continue to evolve.

In addition to periodic updates regarding sustainable investing and how this form of investing is evolving, investors and financial intermediaries interested in implementing a sustainable investing approach will also find source materials that cover basic investing themes as well as asset allocation tactics.

Inesting ideas

Thoughts and ideas targeting sustainable investing strategies executed through various registered and non-registered sustainable investment funds and products such as mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs), closed-end funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Unit Investment Trusts (UITs). Coverage extends to investment management firms as well as fund groups. 

Independent source for sustainable investment management company research, analysis, opinions and sustainable fund disclosure assessments