Original, independent, thought leadership

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 funde 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.

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.

Chart of the Week – January 20, 2025: Top performing funds in 2024

The Bottom Line:  Magnificent Seven stocks made significant but varying contributions to the 2024 performance of the top ten large cap growth and blended funds.    Notes of explanation: Top 10 performing funds include: Xtrackers SP 500 Growth ESG ETF*, Praxis Growth Index A*, iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Growth ETF*, Nuveen Winslow Large-Cap Growth ESG R6, Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity E, TCW Transform Systems ETF*, Calvert US Large Cap Growth Responsible Index R6*, Parnassus Growth Equity Institutional, Transamerica Sustainable Growth Equity A and American Century Large Cap Growth ETF.

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Chart of the Week – January 13, 2025: Top 10 assets gaining mutual funds in 2024

The Bottom Line:  Top 10 focused sustainable mutual funds based on 2024 gains in net assets, largely equity mutual funds, gained $14.9 billion in assets. Notes of explanation:  *Refers to index fu

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Chart of the Week – January 6, 2025: Sustainable ETF launches 2024

The Bottom Line:  Expense ratios of new ETF listings in 2024, just nine funds, shifted lower for passive funds as well as actively managed ones.   Notes of explanation:  *Refers to actively managed fund.

Chart of the Week – December 23, 2024: Survey on corporate ESG commitments

The Bottom Line:  Teneo survey results show that the majority of global CEOs, or 56%, remain committed to balancing ESG programs with core business objectives.   Notes of explanation:  Notes of Explanation: Sources: Teneo and Sustainable Research and Analysis LLC.

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Chart of the Week – December 16, 2024: New focused sustainable fund listings

The Bottom Line:  The drought affecting new focused sustainable mutual fund and ETF listings, which started after May of last year, continued into November 2024.   Notes of explanation:  Mutual fund new listings refer to new funds, excluding new share classes.

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Getting Started: Large-cap blended index mutual funds and ETFs

The Bottom Line: Six qualifying funds available for investors seeking a sustainable large-cap blended index mutual fund or ETF investment option to serve as an anchor position in a sustainable investment portfolio.

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Chart of the Week – December 9, 2024: November 2024 leaders and October’s laggards Copy Copy

The Bottom Line:  Three of October’s concentrated thematic laggards morph into some of November’s best performing funds, with total returns ranging from 13.3% to 24.2%.

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Chart of the Week – December 2, 2024: Focused sustainable fund firm exits

The Bottom Line:  18 fund management firms, or 11% of firms with focused sustainable funds withdrew from offering sustainable funds since the start of 2024. Notes of explanation:  The number of fund firm exits excludes fund firms that were acquired, merged or consolidated with other firm

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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