Original, independent, thought leadership

Re-evaluated performance of 100 most sustainable companies per Barron’s in line with S&P 500

The Bottom Line:  Re-evaluated performance of the 100 most sustainable companies per Barron’s produced 2019 returns in line with S&P 500 Index—no more, no less. Performance of the 100 most sustainable companies per Barron’s/Calvert Research and Management A lead article in the February 10, 2020 edition of Barron’s entitled “Sustainable Success:  Stocks That Are Delivering for […]

Sustainable Investment Funds Performance Scorecard: January 2020

Summary Markets in January reversed course starting at the end of the third week of the new month in response to news of the coronavirus outbreak in China. January produced divergent results, ranging from a high of 6.99% recorded by 20+ year US Treasury securities to a low of -11.88% for Brent Crude. The S&P […]

Sustainable Indices Lag in December but Excel in 2019

Stock and bond markets worldwide posted excellent returns in 2019 bolstered by strong December gains:  S&P 500 added 3.0% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite recorded 1.9% and 3.6% increases.  Stock and bond markets worldwide posted excellent returns in 2019.  The major US stock indices ended the last day of the year […]

Sustainable Indices Post Mixed Results in November 2019

U.S. stock indices posted a series of record highs during November and closed the next to last month of the year with their strongest monthly gains since June. U.S. stock indices posted a series of record highs during November and closed the next to last month of the year with their strongest monthly gains since […]

Sustainable Investment Funds Performance Scorecard: November 2019

Summary Dominated by 56 funds that take into account information about environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when making investment decisions, 60 funds, including 55 sustainable mutual funds and four ETFs and one ETN[1], organized into three broad asset categories covering US equities, international equities and fixed income, produced returns in November ranging from -9.45% to […]

Sustainable Index Funds Lag Behind Conventional Funds

Sustainable index funds at $35.1 billion represent just 3.1% of sustainable long-term fund assets versus 36.2% for conventional mutual funds and ETFs Sustainable index funds[1], including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have achieved limited traction so far and stand in contrast to the popularity of index funds across the investment company landscape.  At the […]

Sustainable Indices Lagged, Matched or Exceeded Returns for the Month of October 2019

Market recovers in second half of month to post strong 2.17% return; foreign markets performed even better while sustainable fund indices lagged, matched or exceeded their conventional counterparts In a month that produced returns ranging from highs of 8.05% posted by European emerging markets to 7.73% recorded by NASDAQ biotech stocks and 4.97% for Japanese […]

Sustainable Investment Funds Performance Scorecard: October 2019

Summary The growing universe of sustainable mutual funds and ETFs, up to 3,037 and $1.4 trillion in net assets at the end of October, posted an average return of 1.61%[1].  Returns ranged from a high of 8.28% recorded by Eventide Healthcare & Life Sciences Fund I to a low of -11.68% logged in by Amplify […]

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