Sustainable Funds Cash Flows Summary: August 2019
Assets attributable to sustainable funds declined by $8.4 billion in August largely due to market movement Sustainable funds, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs), registered a decline in the amount of $8.4 billion, or 1.1% to end the month of August at $772.7 billion. This was only the second time this […]
SEC Issued Proxy Voting Guidance: Not Likely to Deter ESG Shareholder Proposals
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued interpretive guidance on an investment adviser’s fiduciary duties regarding proxy voting On August 21, by a vote of 3 to 2, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued interpretive guidance on an investment adviser’s fiduciary duties with respect to voting of proxies for client accounts. Coincidently, the SEC guidance […]
Sustainable Investment Funds Cash Flows Summary: July 2019
Assets attributable to sustainable funds add another $18.4 billion end July at another new high level of $781.1 billion in assets under management Adding to June’s $52.08 billion in assets under management, sustainable funds, including mutual funds, ETFs and ETNs, registered a net increase of $18.4 billion in assets under management, or 2.4%. The increase […]
Sustainable Investing Opinion Briefs: July 2019
Opinion Briefs Coverage Opinions cover the following topics in descending date order: Possible disruption of ETFs by ESG, hedge funds ESG survey, exploring the question of what ESG investing really means, a critique of socially responsible investing and a rebuke of same, investing in thematic water-related funds, the US House Financial Services Committee July 10 […]
Sustainable Funds Reporting Roundup: July 2019
The July edition excerpts 3/31/2019 and 4/30/2019 annual reports filed in June and July by VanEck Vectors Green Bond ETF, iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF and Boston Common ESG Impact Funds, both US and International. The commentary appearing in this document offers excerpts taken from recently posted annual reports published by sustainable mutual funds […]
Sustainable Funds Cash Flows Summary: June 2019
Assets attributable to sustainable funds snap back, adding $52.1 billion to end June at a new high level of $762.7 billion in assets under management Reversing May’s $20.7 billion decline in assets under management, sustainable funds, including mutual funds, ETFs and ETNs, registered a net increase of $52.08 billion in assets under management, or 7.3% […]
Environmental Rating System Proposal
The research paper entitled Environmental Rating System by authors Praveen Varma, Mark Gold and Henry Shilling proposes a globally consistent environmental rating system in which public companies are rated based on the amount of unremedied pollution they produce. The objective of this rating system is to more fully account for externalities which are created when companies pass a portion […]
Sustainable Investing Opinion Briefs: June 2019
Opinion Briefs Coverage: Opinions cover topics ranging from hedge fund ESG practices, greenwashing, WSJ Future of Finance social investing apps, ESG sub-adviser due diligence, PE firms attracted to companies with poor ESG records and Carnival Corp. (CCL) poor governance and environmental conduct. June 18, 2019 – While alternative (“hedge”) funds continue to lag mutual funds […]