by Joe Keefe, president and CEO of Pax World Funds and its investment adviser, Pax World Management, LLC The big news story of 2016 was the rise of Donald Trump. A very nasty campaign culminated in the election of a completely unsuitable and unqualified person to serve as President of the United States, in
by Don Shaffer, president and CEO of RSF Social Finance In 2017, we’ll hear a deafening roar from investors: • “Are screened mutual funds the best I can do?” • “Why is my ESG portfolio filled with technology and big bank stocks?” • “Can you please find me more direct investments?” We’ll hear the
by Claire Mesesan, communications manager at Iroquois Valley Farms Few issues capture the complex space millennials occupy better than food and farming. At a time when commodity agriculture is pervasive – regenerative, organic agriculture is experiencing a renaissance spurred on by millennials. Much has been written about millennials, a generation that occupies a peculiar
New impact investing platform harnesses technology, social networks, and scale to help investors, institutions and their advisors invest with purpose. by Reggie Stanley, president and CEO of ImpactUs The term “impact investing” as it relates to private debt and equity is nearly 10 years old, it has been a rarified concept for rank-and-file investors
Parnassus Investments (www.parnassus.com) announced recently that the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund has surpassed $1 billion in assets, a marker of investor interest in the fund’s high-quality responsible investment strategy. The Mid Cap Fund is the third Parnassus fund to reach this important asset level. Parnassus President and Founder Jerome L. Dodson, who served as
>> Back to December 2016 Issue Index growth signals evolving Next Economy as companies embrace sustainable business strategies Green Alpha ® Advisors, an asset management firm specializing in innovation-driven, fossil fuel free equity portfolios, announced in mid-November 2016 that it has added 26 new stocks to its Green Alpha Next Economy Index (GANEX). The
Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE:EV) announced in late October 2016 the execution of a definitive agreement to acquire the business assets of Calvert Investment Management, Inc. (Calvert), an indirect subsidiary of Ameritas Holding Company. In conjunction with the proposed acquisition, the Boards of Trustees of the Calvert mutual funds (Calvert Funds) have voted to recommend
In mid-November 2016 Andrew Behar, CEO of nonprofit shareholder advocacy group As You Sow, releases his first book, entitled “The Shareholder Action Guide.” Described by Robert Reich as “A valuable call to action for small shareholders to change the way big corporations do business,” the guide outlines how people can utilize their investments to shift
Two-thirds of asset managers polled pursue sustainable investing, with 64% believing its adoption will continue to grow. Two-thirds of asset management professionals surveyed (65%) say that they are using sustainable investing strategies to achieve competitive market-rate financial return alongside positive social and/or environmental impact. Sixty-four percent believe its adoption will continue to grow, according to
As sustainability issues force their way higher up the corporate agenda, private equity houses (general partners) are now responding to demand from investors (limited partners) for a brighter focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Four in 10 (41%) of 111 PE general partners surveyed by PwC in its Global PE Responsible Investment Survey
