Weekly Impact Investment Market Update: April 6, 2018

Impact Investing & ESG
 

How the World’s Largest Pension Invests in ESG

Socially responsible investing (SRI) is gaining steam at a rapid pace. What was a scarcely understood novelty several years ago has now become a necessity in every “know-your-client” discussion.

4 Ways the Financial Industry Fails Socially Conscious Investors

For years, financial institutions and advisors have dismissed socially conscious investing as the well-intentioned but misguided philosophy of naïve investors.

Saving the World: The ‘New Normal’ for Finance?

Amit Bouri is evangelical that members of his network, and many more like them, can right the wrongs of the world using the muscle of their money.

Is Impact Investing the Next Big Thing for Donor-Advised Funds?

Private foundations have been taking bolder steps toward impact investing in recent years. But with more individuals turning to donor-advised funds (DAFs) to facilitate their giving, how can those funds also be invested today to improve the world?

How Investors Influence ESG Reporting

We spoke with David Mordy, Director of Investor Relations for CenterPoint Energy (CenterPoint) for his perspective on how corporate Investor Relations Officers (IROs) are viewing the shift to Socially Responsible Investing (SRI).

 

United States & Europe
 

U.S. Economy Added 103,000 Jobs in March; Unemployment Rate Stays at 4.1%

The U.S. economy added 103,000 jobs in March, maintaining a steady track of growth, but wages barely budged, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

 

Developing Economies
 

Emerging Markets Get Thumbs Up After Staring Down Tough Quarter

Emerging-market stocks beat peers from developed nations in the first quarter as investors tangled with an escalation in trade tensions, a jump in bond yields and bank-funding costs, and a sell-off in technology stocks.

Latin America Under Tightening Global Liquidity Conditions: Emerging Markets in a Change Global Environment

Emerging-market assets enjoyed significant support from investors during 2017. An environment of economic-growth recovery with moderate inflation across developed markets combined with solid commodity prices and abundant liquidity searching for yield—all contributed to remarkable interest from international investors in EM securities.

Chile Economic Activity up 4 Percent Year-on-Year in February

Chile’s economic activity rose 4.0 percent in February from the same month a year ago, its largest increase in two years, the central bank said on Thursday.

Peru Names Economist Tuesta as Finance Minister

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra will appoint an economist who was a director for Latin America’s CAF development bank as finance minister in a completely new cabinet he will swear in on Monday.