Original, independent, thought leadership
Register
Search Linkedin Reddit-alien
Search Linkedin Reddit-alien
Search Linkedin Reddit-alien

Ave Maria Mutual Funds

« Back to Glossary Index

Funds Group: Ave Maria Mutual Funds

Management Company: Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc.
Funds Affected: Ave Maria Bond, Ave Maria Value Fund, Ave Maria Growth Fund, Ave Maria Rising Dividend Fund and Ave Maria World Equity Fund
Principal Sustainable Investment Strategy: Values-based/Religious/Ethical, Negative screening (exclusions)


AVEWX Summary:

Ave Maria Mutual Funds employ morally responsible investing practices and utilize moral screens established by a Catholic Advisory Board which provides guidance in accordance with funds’ standards and criteria. The goal is to provide good returns without compromising moral values.

Ave Maria places equal emphasis on investment performance and moral criteria. Investors should not have to sacrifice financial performance potential because of their pro-life and pro-family beliefs. Every stock and bond we buy must first meet the financial criteria set by our experienced team of portfolio managers and analysts. If a security seems like a portfolio prospect, then the company is screened based on the moral criteria.

Ave Maria Mutual Funds Employ 4 Moral Screens

companies that fall into these categories are excluded from investment consideration:

Moral Screen No. 1: Abortion
• Selected drug companies
• Hospitals
• Insurance companies
• Retailers

Moral Screen No. 2: Embryonic Stem Cell Research
• Selected drug companies
• Hospitals
• Insurance companies
• Retailers

Moral Screen No. 3: Planned Parenthood
• Companies that contribute corporate funds to Planned Parenthood

Moral Screen No. 4: Pornography
Various producers & distributors
• Media companies
• Hotels
• Retailers
• Internet & cable providers

Ready To Gain A Competitive Edge?

In-depth sustainable investment management analysis, research, opinions and sustainable fund ratings

Learn More

« Back to Funds Directory

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