May commentary: green bond funds
The Bottom Line: Green bond funds reversed a slide in net assets, helped by posting the narrowest average monthly total return performance drop this year. May Summary Dedicated green bond funds, which rebounded to seven funds on May 3rd upon the launch of the rebranded Franklin Municipal Green Bond ETF (FMLB)¹ that shifted $101.9 million […]
Both stocks and bonds tumble in April 2022
The Bottom Line: Stocks and bonds experienced the worst month so far this year while the relative performance of sustainable equity and bond indices improve. Stocks and bonds suffer through the worst month so far this year Concerns and uncertainties ranging from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, inflation, interest rates, continued labor shortages, supply chain issues, COVID […]
The INDEX Act, a gain for sustainable investors?
The Bottom Line: If enacted, the Investor Democracy is Expected (INDEX) Act will potentially give sustainable investors an influential voice by shifting proxy voting power. Summary/Conclusion The concentration of corporate voting power in the hands of a small number of investment advisers who are perceived to be aligned with an ESG agenda is engendering pushback. […]
April commentary: green bond funds
The Bottom Line: Green bond funds experienced modest outflows during a volatile month and while performance suffered in April, the segment, on average, held up. April Summary Modest outflows during a volatile month for both equities and bonds led to a net decline of $55.3 million in assets to $1.37 billion. Excluded is the $101.9 […]
Are 401(k) plan fiduciaries ready for Bitcoin as a plan option?
The Bottom Line: For at least three reasons it seems unlikely that plan sponsors will offer Bitcoin in company sponsored 401(k) plans any time soon. Introduction and conclusion On April 26, 2022 Fidelity Investments announced the launch of Fidelity’s workplace Digital Assets Account (DAA), the industry’s first offering that will enable individuals to have a portion of […]
Bonds tumble 2.78% while large cap stocks gain 3.71% in March 2022
The Bottom Line: Heightened volatility in recent months likely to test the resolve of investors but longer-term ESG strategies seem to preserve their value proposition. Bonds gave up 2.78% in March while large cap US equities posted a gain of 3.71% Concerns and uncertainties regarding the implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the potential […]
March commentary: green bond funds
The Bottom Line: Difficult market conditions in the first quarter led to very poor monthly and quarterly performance results and reduced issuance of green bonds. Summary Green bond funds, consisting of active and passively managed green bond mutual funds and green bond ETFs, invest in “green” bonds whose proceeds are used principally for climate mitigation, […]
Another difficult month-February 2022
The Bottom Line: Another difficult month for stocks and bonds but returns posted by clean energy funds show value of patience and long-term investing horizon. Negative year-to-date results for stocks and bonds widened in February: S&P 500 -2.99% and Bloomberg Aggregate -1.12% A rough start to the year for both stocks and bonds was followed […]