ESG

As banks pull back from many types of lending, demand for capital is outpacing supply, providing the best potential opportunities in private credit since the GFC.

I find for many the same is true with ETFs and capital gains. However, the ETF pie continues to expand with newer investors each year. The persistent lack of a capital tax gain burden simply for holding onto an investment is worthy of celebration.

Fossil fuels, particularly oil, are difficult to replace due to their availability, affordability and energy density. Low-carbon alternatives, like solar energy, need large amounts of space to produce comparable amounts of energy to oil.

A new psychological contract is transforming the modern workplace, highlighted by an increase in collective actions and changing employee expectations.

The run-off election looks tight in Argentina, where I’m attending a Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) event in Buenos Aires.

A movie that I’m quite fond of is 25^th Hour, a Spike Lee joint about three friends in post-9/11 New York City. One of them, played by Barry Pepper, is a bond trader.

As I write this, we’re just about three months out from kicking off Exchange 2024 in Miami, Florida. Obviously, I and the whole team here at VettaFi would love it if you came.

Senior Investment Analyst Ashley Fritz addresses three major misconceptions around ESG investing in the EM corporate space.

The price of gold just had its best October in nearly half a century, defying tough resistance from surging Treasury yields and a strong U.S. dollar. The yellow metal rallied an incredible 7.3% last month to close at $1,983 an ounce, its strongest October since 1978, when it jumped 11.7%.

With less than two months left in 2023, this maybe another disappointing year for broad-based ex-US developed market equity funds. This includes a slew of passive exchange traded funds.

One of the most frequently mentioned criticisms of Bitcoin mining is that it’s energy-intensive. Making that matter worse is that the industry is a massive consumer of fossil fuels, arguably inviting that criticism.

We’ve always intended for the unique collaboration between AllianceBernstein (AB) and Columbia University to serve the broader asset-management industry. Asset owners and managers alike are eager to explore the complex issues of climate change and its potential effect on investments and investment decision-making.

Global investing is easily accessible through the financial markets. Many investors prefer to stick to companies and industries they are familiar with.

Amid soaring interest rates in the U.S., third-quarter issuance of ESG, sustainability, and related debt declined. But annual issuance of such debt is poised to be elevated — a theme that could carry over into 2024.

Our 2023 Manager ESG survey reveals that while more investors are implementing engagement and proxy voting strategies, there is still room for improvement.

Identifying problems is great. Identifying solutions is even better, especially when the politicians who are supposed to be solving our big problems don’t even try.

A transition away from fossil fuels is likely required to avert a significant warming of the planet. Rising temperatures could lead to crop failures, storm intensification, ocean acidification and deoxygenation, and infrastructure damage, among several other risks.

While environmental, social, and governance criticism remains elevated (and loud) and interest rates are affecting the performance of the related equities and exchange traded funds, ESG-committed investors can find relief on multiple fronts.

Private credit is being sought—with the goals of income and capital preservation—to achieve real capital growth and drive portfolio returns among retail and institutional clients alike.

For the 90 days ending October. 20, the S&P 500 Energy Index jumped 6.1%, while the broader S&P 500 slumped nearly 7%. Due in part to geopolitical concerns, oil prices are trending higher, providing support to the energy equity thesis.

Investments in alternative energy have become unattractive due to higher interest rates, not changes in government policies, adoption or pricing of green technologies.

ESG isn’t a new concept. In recent years, it’s gained more attention and assets thanks partly to the proliferation of related ETFs.

Drugmakers don’t have to dominate a healthcare portfolio. Equity investors should cast a wide net across the sector to find innovation and growth.

Russell Investments’ 2023 Manager ESG Survey, now in its ninth year, continues to offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of ESG practices within the investment management industry.

A multi-asset approach to sustainable investing brings a broad and more balanced palette to paint with.

There is a growing movement among investors to align their portfolio to their values or belief systems. Advisors can use Direct Indexing products and Separately Managed Accounts to help their clients pursue faith- or values-based investing.

Psychology in markets is always fascinating. In February 2009, I wrote “8 Reasons For A Bull Market.” While in hindsight, it is easy to see that was the right call, overall, psychology was highly negative at the time.

We see promising potential in countries with younger populations and forward-looking policies, such as India, Indonesia, and Mexico.

Savvy investors are aware that geopolitical tensions and uncertainty can significantly influence the financial markets.

With the widely followed Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index down almost 3% over the past month and in the red on a year-to-date basis, this might not be one of those times.

Savvy investors are aware that geopolitical tensions and uncertainty can significantly influence the financial markets.

One mark of true brilliance is the ability to make complex ideas seem simple. I think this is why so many of us fondly remember our early schoolteachers.

Though time will continue to reveal its staying power, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) thus far has proven that it has its place in the investment community.

Plenty of ink has been spilled about how much money has gone into active ETFs in 2023, and from a pure top-line flows perspective, it’s true.

The degree of success of muni impact bonds often stems from showing issuers how they’ll be graded.

Quarterly commentary giving an overview of the markets and the importance of having and implementing a strategy when investing in the markets.

However, the regulators made asset management news with their focus on “truth in advertising.” Despite their well-intentioned efforts, it will remain paramount for investors to do their homework and look inside the portfolio.

Environmental, social, and governance policies and investing have become targets of political derision. That doesn’t dampen the need for corporations and governments to pursue agendas tied to climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Financial advisors often face the challenge of transitioning a new client into their practice in a tax-efficient way.

Honeywell International Inc. is a global leader in diversified technology and manufacturing. As sectors like aerospace and construction undergo rapid changes, there’s a demand for solutions that boost efficiency while prioritizing safety.

With the rapid pace of urbanization, there’s an increasing demand for efficient and sustainable power solutions, and ABB’s advancements in smart grids and renewable energy integration are pivotal in meeting the demands of this transition.

Thematic ETFs have come a long way since they made their full debut in the ETF ecosystem.

The Franklin Templeton Fixed Income team believe that issuers that think critically about the environment in which they operate could outperform throughout the full market cycle compared with those who are slower to adapt.

In arguably quiet fashion, active managers are performing admirably in 2023. An impressive percentage of active equity and fixed income funds beat their benchmarks in the first half of the year.

Celebrating an exciting milestone: Franklin Income Fund turns 75. Learn more about this flagship strategy and read some fun facts from back in 1948.

In a significant turnaround for its aviation sector, Mexico’s air safety rating was upgraded from Category 2 back to Category 1 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The upgrade could be a game-changer, offering opportunities for both Mexican airlines and their U.S. joint venture partners.

Today, I am going to do something that I've never done. I am going to start a two-part series describing what is in my personal portfolio and why. Let me start by offering two caveats: This letter is in the “do as I say and not as I do” category.

AI, with its data analysis and predictive power, can revolutionize investing. However, humans remain a crucial part of the process. Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions provides use cases into how different investors can harness AI to achieve their desired outcomes and workflows.

From the dense Amazon jungle to wide stretches of Malaysian palm oil plantations, agricultural practices have been stripping the world of vital forests for decades.

ESG has dominated advisors’ minds when it comes to looking at the current generation of young prospective clients. It remains a popular investment approach for millennial and Gen Z clients per surveys.

In the final part of our series on global supply chains, portfolio managers Inbok Song and Sherwood Zhang look at the companies that are reconfiguring their networks and portfolio manager Vivek Tanneeru gives his assessment on the investment opportunities.

An efficient avenue for asset managers and fund issuers to avoid regulatory scrutiny of products with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) label is to ensure that those funds live up their ESG ETF billing. That can be accomplished with data-intensive approaches.

Bond investors have been looking for an approach that delivers attractive, repeatable, uncorrelated active returns. Is their wait over?

Xylem is a leading innovator of water solutions. This Knowledge Leader harnesses smart technology to provide water, wastewater, and energy solutions to a diverse range of sectors, from agriculture and aquaculture to commercial buildings and energy.