ESG Links: Allocating with Purpose

Due to client demand, Ritholtz Wealth Management has created an ESG version of our classic asset allocation models, known as the Portland Portfolio. Research shows that high net worth families are increasingly interested in directing their investable assets toward companies with good records on Environmental, Social and Governance issues.

Please enjoy the below reads, curated by our in-house ESG expert, Joey Fishman. And if ESG investing is something you’d like to learn more about, talk to us here. 

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Supply Chain Sustainability: The new green lean money machine (Forbes)

Dimensional Fund Advisors divests from some palm oil positions to mitigate risks (Valuewalk)

Investment funds worth trillions are dropping fossil fuel stocks (NYtimes)

Sustainable investing in fixed-income funds; see also 7 Myths and facts about sustainable Investing (Morningstar / Jon Hale)

Automakers are making big and often conflicting bets on a low-emissions future (Bloomberg)

2017: Year of Socially Responsible ETFs  (ETF.com)

Automation will elbow out jobs without aggressive policy  (The White House)

Gender diversity in investment management  (CFA Society); see also The relative stock performance of gender diverse boards (Trinity North Investments)

Technology continues to score victories that the federal government can’t accomplish  (The Atlantic)

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ESG DEFINITIONS / TYPES

Examples of ESG incorporation strategies can be summarized as follows:

Positive/best-in-class: Investment in sectors, companies or projects selected for positive ESG performance relative to industry peers. This also includes avoiding companies that do not meet certain ESG performance thresholds.

Negative/exclusionary screening: The exclusion from a fund or plan of certain sectors or companies involved in activities deemed unacceptable or controversial.

ESG integration: The systematic and explicit inclusion by investment managers of ESG factors into traditional financial analysis.

Impact investing: Targeted investments, typically made in private markets, aimed at solving social or environmental problems.

Sustainability themed investing: The selection of assets specifically related to sustainability in single- or multi-themed funds.

Click here for more….http://www.ussif.org/esg

Talk to us about ESG investing here.