Ethical & Sustainable Investing News to Profit By!

Ethical & Sustainable Investing News to Profit By!

54 episodes

These podcasts will help you find stocks, funds, and bonds that reflect YOUR personal values. Each podcast is filled with top analyst investment picks encompassing the best sustainability, ESG, and ethics traits. My name is Ron Robins and I’ve been following this style of investing since the 1970s. Now it’s mainstream because it can be very profitable too! Beginning in 1969, I held investment industry positions in investment analysis, over-the-counter stock trading, and global private equity sales. And for almost two decades I’ve been a leading writer and tutor in ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible investing (SRI). I’ve been interviewed or quoted in The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Forbes, The Financial Post, BNN, The Globe & Mail, and numerous other media. In 2002, I founded the globally popular and highly respected ethical investing website, Investing for the Soul. Now, it’s my pleasure to help you with these podcasts to be successful in profitably applying your personal values to your investments. And, please subscribe to my RSS feed and my blog.

Podcasts

Podcast: Analysts' Impact, ESG, and Healthcare Stock, Picks

Published: Dec. 15, 2023, 7:08 p.m.
Duration: 20 minutes 24 seconds

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Podcast: Great ESG Fashion, Infrastructure, and Clean Energy Stocks and Funds!

Published: Dec. 1, 2023, 7:29 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 6 seconds

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Impact, Solar, and ESG Stock Buys

Published: Nov. 17, 2023, 7:36 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 45 seconds

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Podcast: The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains

Published: Nov. 3, 2023, 6:59 p.m.
Duration: 25 minutes 55 seconds

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Podcast: Top Global Renewable Energy Stocks

Published: Oct. 20, 2023, 6:51 p.m.
Duration: 27 minutes 15 seconds

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Podcast: Analysts Like These Stocks in Todays Markets

Published: Oct. 6, 2023, 6:33 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 3 seconds

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Podcast: Top Lithium and Hydrogen Stocks

Published: Sept. 22, 2023, 6:03 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 9 seconds

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Podcast: Great Sustainable Stock Buys

Published: Sept. 8, 2023, 4 p.m.
Duration: 26 minutes 5 seconds

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Podcast: Best Hydrogen ETFs And Stocks. Plus...

Published: Aug. 11, 2023, 3:27 p.m.
Duration: 25 minutes 2 seconds

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Podcast: The Sustainable Stocks The Rich Invest In!

Published: July 28, 2023, 3:57 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 43 seconds

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Podcast: These ESG Stocks Are A Cut Above

Published: July 14, 2023, 6:38 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 44 seconds

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Podcast: Great Green Energy Stock Picks

Published: June 30, 2023, 6:30 p.m.
Duration: 24 minutes 40 seconds

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Podcast: Socially Responsible Companies Investors Like

Published: June 16, 2023, 1:23 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 8 seconds

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Podcast: Best ESG Stocks to Buy for 2023

Published: June 2, 2023, 6:03 p.m.
Duration: 25 minutes 5 seconds

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Podcast: Socially Responsible Stocks To Buy

Published: May 19, 2023, 6:11 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 23 seconds

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Analysts Like These Ethical and Sustainable Stocks

Published: May 4, 2023, 3:39 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 37 seconds

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Podcast: Buy These Renewable Energy Stocks Say Analysts

Published: April 21, 2023, 1:58 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 29 seconds

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Podcast: Best ESG Funds and Stocks

Published: April 7, 2023, 1:55 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 43 seconds

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Podcast: The Worlds Most Ethical Companies

Published: March 24, 2023, 3:29 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 48 seconds

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Podcast: These Infrastructure Stocks Pay Great Dividends

Published: March 10, 2023, 7:03 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 31 seconds

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Podcast: The Most Sustainable Banks. Plus...

Published: Feb. 24, 2023, 3:55 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 1 second

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Podcast: The Most Undervalued Solar Stocks. And More...

Published: Feb. 10, 2023, 7:18 p.m.
Duration: 20 minutes 32 seconds

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Podcast: The Worlds Most Sustainable Companies. Plus...

Published: Jan. 27, 2023, 4:37 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 57 seconds

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Podcast: ESG Stock Picks for January 2023

Published: Jan. 13, 2023, 4:30 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 47 seconds

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Podcast: The Most Ethical US Companies

Published: Dec. 16, 2022, 4:15 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 23 seconds

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Podcast: Top Floating and Onshore Windfarm Stocks

Published: Dec. 2, 2022, 7:36 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 21 seconds

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Podcast: Best Alternative Energy Stocks. Plus...

Published: Nov. 18, 2022, 7:07 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 39 seconds

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Podcast: The Winning ESG Companies

Published: Nov. 4, 2022, 6:08 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 6 seconds

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Podcast: Top Geothermal and Medical Stocks

Published: Oct. 21, 2022, 5:50 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 39 seconds

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Podcast: Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks

Published: Oct. 7, 2022, 6:17 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 28 seconds

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Podcast: Most Sustainable Stocks & Funds for 2022

Published: Sept. 23, 2022, 6:29 p.m.
Duration: 25 minutes 21 seconds

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Podcast: Inflation Reduction Act: Analysts Stock-ETF Picks!

Published: Sept. 9, 2022, 6:09 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 35 seconds

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Podcast: ESG Energy Stocks for 3Q 2022

Published: July 29, 2022, 6 p.m.
Duration: 25 minutes 25 seconds

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Podcast: Great Green Stocks

Published: July 15, 2022, 3:49 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 30 seconds

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Podcast: ESG Picks. Great Corporate Citizens.

Published: July 1, 2022, 3:45 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 4 seconds

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Podcast: Oceans ETF. Fastest Growing Green Companies.

Published: June 17, 2022, 4:20 p.m.
Duration: 19 minutes 7 seconds

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Podcast: Gun-Free Funds and Eco Crypto Picks

Published: June 3, 2022, 3:54 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 26 seconds

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Podcast: Best US Corporate Citizens. And More

Published: May 20, 2022, 6:05 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 13 seconds

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Podcast: Best Clean Energy Stocks and Funds

Published: May 6, 2022, 1:37 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 49 seconds

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PODCAST: Great Cleantech Stocks and Faith-Based Funds

Published: April 22, 2022, 1:48 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 47 seconds

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PODCAST: Buy These ESG Stocks, Say Analysts

Published: April 8, 2022, 3:01 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 34 seconds

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PODCAST: The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables

Published: March 25, 2022, 3:01 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 58 seconds

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PODCAST: Top Water, Energy, Stocks and Funds

Published: March 11, 2022, 4:35 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 21 seconds

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PODCAST: The Stocks Topping ESG Rankings. And More...

Published: Feb. 25, 2022, 5:10 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 5 seconds

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PODCAST: Beat Inflation With These ESG Stocks, Analyst

Published: Feb. 11, 2022, 6:56 p.m.
Duration: 20 minutes 49 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Dividend Stocks. Global 100 Companies. Plus...

Published: Jan. 28, 2022, 6:53 p.m.
Duration: 23 minutes 34 seconds

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Best ESG Stocks and Funds for 2022

Published: Jan. 14, 2022, 5:08 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 27 seconds

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Happy New Year! No podcast today. Next podcast January 14.

Published: Dec. 31, 2021, 3:16 p.m.
Duration: 20 seconds

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PODCAST: Cleantech Stocks, Carbon ETF to Buy Now

Published: Dec. 17, 2021, 7:19 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 40 seconds

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PODCAST: Best 2021 Renewable Energy Stocks. And More.

Published: Dec. 3, 2021, 5:07 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 19 seconds

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PODCAST: Great Stock and Fund Picks Post COP26

Published: Nov. 19, 2021, 6:40 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 10 seconds

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PODCAST: Low-Cost ESG Stocks to Buy. More...

Published: Nov. 5, 2021, 4:05 p.m.
Duration: 24 minutes 23 seconds

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PODCAST: Best Solar Energy Stocks PLUS Much More...

Published: Oct. 22, 2021, 6:11 p.m.
Duration: 22 minutes 39 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Funds, Stocks, to Buy Now

Published: Oct. 8, 2021, 6:05 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 23 seconds

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PODCAST: Top Water, Environmental, and Renewable Energy Investments

Published: Sept. 24, 2021, 6:45 p.m.
Duration: 24 minutes 23 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Funds That Highlight Labor. And MORE...

Published: Sept. 10, 2021, 6:46 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 23 seconds

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PODCAST: Great Renewable Energy and EV Stocks

Published: Aug. 27, 2021, 6:05 p.m.
Duration: 20 minutes 15 seconds

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PODCAST: Great ESG Stocks, Funds, for August

Published: Aug. 13, 2021, 6:28 p.m.
Duration: 21 minutes 12 seconds

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PODCAST: Jim Cramers Solar Stocks and MUCH More

Published: July 30, 2021, 5:50 p.m.
Duration: 19 minutes 38 seconds

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PODCAST: Great ESG Stocks for Your Portfolio

Published: July 16, 2021, 7:20 p.m.
Duration: 19 minutes 32 seconds

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PODCAST: Top ESG Pharma Companies, and more...

Published: July 2, 2021, 4 p.m.
Duration: 20 minutes 27 seconds

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PODCAST: Best Infrastructure and LGBTQ Friendly Stocks, Plus...

Published: June 18, 2021, 6:48 p.m.
Duration: 19 minutes 16 seconds

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PODCAST: Best Socially Responsible Dividend Stocks. PLUS...

Published: June 4, 2021, 6:35 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 19 seconds

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PODCAST: The Top Renewable Energy Stocks, Funds. Plus...

Published: May 21, 2021, 4:30 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 21 seconds

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PODCAST: The Top Climate Change ETFs and Stocks

Published: May 7, 2021, 1:49 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 35 seconds

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PODCAST: Alternative Energy Picks and Surprises. Plus...

Published: April 22, 2021, 11:53 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 10 seconds

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PODCAST: Feel Good Investments That Make Money!

Published: April 9, 2021, 7:05 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 29 seconds

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PODCAST: Top Infrastructure Stocks. And More...

Published: March 26, 2021, 1:56 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 46 seconds

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PODCAST: New ESG S&P Indexes. Top Tech Stocks.

Published: March 12, 2021, 2:57 p.m.
Duration: 19 minutes 3 seconds

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PODCAST: Analysts Top ESG Energy and Water Stocks

Published: Feb. 26, 2021, 5:16 p.m.
Duration: 19 minutes 6 seconds

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PODCAST: Sustainable Stocks for Your Portfolio

Published: Feb. 12, 2021, 6:26 p.m.
Duration: 19 minutes 14 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Fund Stock Picks Under Biden

Published: Jan. 28, 2021, 8:31 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 32 seconds

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PODCAST: Favorite 2021 Clean Energy Stocks, Funds

Published: Jan. 15, 2021, 2:49 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 54 seconds

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Happy New Year! Next Podcast January 15, 2021

Published: Dec. 31, 2020, 5 p.m.
Duration: 1 minute

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PODCAST: Analysts Pick ESG Stocks to Buy!

Published: Dec. 18, 2020, 5 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 29 seconds

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PODCAST: Top Green Stocks to Watch. More...

Published: Dec. 4, 2020, 7:53 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 43 seconds

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PODCAST: Top Renewable Energy Stocks for 2021. More...

Published: Nov. 20, 2020, 8:58 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 15 seconds

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PODCAST: Best ESG Companies, Funds. And More...

Published: Nov. 6, 2020, 7:25 p.m.
Duration: 15 minutes 44 seconds

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PODCAST: Jim Cramers Hydrogen Stocks. And Much More...

Published: Oct. 23, 2020, 7:03 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 23 seconds

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PODCAST: Climate Change Investing Outperforms! And More...

Published: Oct. 9, 2020, 6:43 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 31 seconds

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PODCAST: Vegan Fund Outperforms. And More...

Published: Sept. 25, 2020, 3:54 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 44 seconds

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PODCAST: Green Energy Growth Stocks. And More...

Published: Sept. 11, 2020, 4:12 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 13 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Stocks, ETFs, For August. And More...

Published: Aug. 28, 2020, 6:07 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 22 seconds

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PODCAST: These Stocks Could Thrive Under Biden. More...

Published: Aug. 14, 2020, 2:49 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes

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PODCAST: Best Renewable Energy Stocks and ETFs. More...

Published: July 31, 2020, 6:37 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 51 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Stock and Fund Picks for July

Published: July 17, 2020, 6:26 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 48 seconds

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PODCAST: Message

Published: July 3, 2020, 6:42 p.m.
Duration: 38 seconds

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PODCAST: Sustainable Pandemic Portfolios

Published: June 19, 2020, 6:22 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 59 seconds

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PODCAST: Best ESG Funds for Responsible Investing

Published: June 5, 2020, 4:25 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 32 seconds

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PODCAST: Pandemics ESG Stock Market Leaders

Published: May 22, 2020, 6:47 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 18 seconds

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PODCAST: More Sustainable Investing Ideas

Published: May 8, 2020, 6:24 p.m.
Duration: 13 minutes 30 seconds

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PODCAST: Sustainable Investments Making Our World Better. More...

Published: April 24, 2020, 4:20 p.m.
Duration: 11 minutes 51 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Funds, Stocks. Opportunities in Downturn.

Published: April 10, 2020, 6:07 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 38 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Funds Outperform in Market Downturn. And more...

Published: March 27, 2020, 6:11 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 50 seconds

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PODCAST: Stocks, Bonds, Funds for Climate Change. More...

Published: March 13, 2020, 6:02 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 45 seconds

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PODCAST: Little-Known Sustainable Stocks with Potential. And More...

Published: Feb. 28, 2020, 8:18 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 56 seconds

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PODCAST: Vegan Funds, Infrastructure, Utility Stocks. And More...

Published: Feb. 14, 2020, 7:38 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 55 seconds

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PODCAST: Top Sustainable Companies, Water Stocks. And More...

Published: Jan. 31, 2020, 12:52 a.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 53 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Funds, Stocks, for 2020. And More...

Published: Jan. 17, 2020, 2:35 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 8 seconds

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Next Podcast January 17. January 3 Podcast Cancelled.

Published: Jan. 3, 2020, 4:48 p.m.
Duration: 53 seconds

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PODCAST: US Budgets Renewable Energy Winners. And More...

Published: Dec. 20, 2019, 8 p.m.
Duration: 14 minutes 56 seconds

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PODCAST: New ESG Ratings Help for Investors. And More...

Published: Dec. 6, 2019, 7:48 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 5 seconds

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PODCAST: ESG Bonds and Bond Funds, Stock Alpha, More...

Published: Nov. 22, 2019, 7:11 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 19 seconds

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PODCAST: Top ESG Funds, Stocks, Robo Advisors and More...

Published: Nov. 8, 2019, 7:46 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 42 seconds

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PODCAST: Best Food Funds, Water Stocks, and Much More!

Published: Oct. 25, 2019, 6:26 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 50 seconds

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PODCAST: Etsy, Southwest Air, ESG Junk Bonds, and more...

Published: Oct. 11, 2019, 6:41 p.m.
Duration: 15 minutes 45 seconds

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PODCAST: Fossil Free Investing, ESG Profits, and more...

Published: Sept. 27, 2019, 7:16 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 28 seconds

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PODCAST: First Vegan Fund, Renewable Energy Stocks, and more...

Published: Sept. 13, 2019, 6:40 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 42 seconds

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PODCAST: Gun-Free Funds, Top ESG Stocks, WeWork, and more...

Published: Aug. 30, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
Duration: 19 minutes 26 seconds

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PODCAST: Amazon vs. eBay, First Vegan Fund, and more...

Published: Aug. 16, 2019, 8:39 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 41 seconds

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PODCAST: Water and Veggie Investing, Cruise Line Greenwashing

Published: Aug. 2, 2019, 7:12 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 32 seconds

Water-related investing gains traction and has profit potential. Beyond Burger sizzle heightens interest in plant-based food producers. Unilever and Nestl\\xe9 cited. Coldwater poured on cruise line investing. Morningstar ratings changes will allow investors to directly compare company sustainability scores across industries. Canada\\u2019s Responsible Investing Association website offers terrific new resources including investment values screening tool.
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PODCAST: Water and Veggie Investing, Cruise Line Greenwashing

Transcript & Links August 2, 2019

Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast Ethical & Sustainable Investing News to Profit By! for August 2, 2019 \\u2013 presented by Investing for the Soul. investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing information and resources.

If you hear any terms in this podcast that are unfamiliar to you, just Google them.

Also, you can find a full transcript, live links and often bonus material to these podcasts at their editions\\u2019 podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts

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Now many sustainable investors are getting excited about investing in water \\u2014 that is companies and funds engaged with water in some way.

Writing in the New York Times in an article titled, As Fresh Water Grows Scarcer, It Could Become a Good Investment, Tim Gray says, and I quote, \\u201cThe prospect of shortages in the years ahead could make water a precious commodity\\u2026 The United Nations Environment Program has predicted that half the globe\\u2019s population could face severe water stress by 2030. Annual expenditures of $200 billion, up from a historical average of about $40 billion to $45 billion, are needed now to keep spigots running, the U.N. said in a 2016 report.\\u201d End quote.

In his article, Mr. Gray discusses several leading funds in this sector. The first is the AllianzGI Global Water Fund (AWTAX: Nasdaq) which is an actively managed fund that holds companies \\u2013 and quoting the article \\u2013 \\u201c[that provide] products or services to help overcome water scarcity and remedy infrastructure shortcomings\\u2026 Created in 2008, the AllianzGI fund returned an annual average of 9.83 percent over the 10 years that ended in June, compared with 5.37 percent for its average Morningstar peer.\\u201d End quote.

The second fund he writes about is the Calvert Global Water Fund (FWAX: Nasdaq), which is a passively managed index fund that, and I quote, \\u201c[is] divided into four subgroups \\u2014 utilities, infrastructure outfits, technology providers and efficient users like Taiwan Semiconductor\\u2026 The fund returned an annual average of 8.56 percent over the 10 years that ended in June.\\u201d Close quote.

The third series of funds are under the umbrella of Invesco. They have three ETFs: Invesco Water Resources ETF (PHO: Nasdaq) which holds US companies, and for global holdings Invesco Global Water ETF (PIO: American Stock Exchange). Both are based on Nasdaq indexes.

The third fund is the S&P Global Water Index ETF (CGW: NYSE Arca). The Water Resources and Global Water funds, and quoting the article, \\u201c[have] \\u2018more focus on companies developing technology around delivering clean water,\\u2019 while the S&P index fund leans more toward utilities, which make up about half of its assets, said J. Jason Bloom, senior director of Global Macro E.T.F. Strategy at Invesco... The S&P Global Water Index fund returned an annual average of 11.05 percent for the decade that ended in June.\\u201d Close quote.

Mr. Gray mentions two funds other funds First Trust Water ETF (FIW: NYSE Arca) and the Tortoise Global Water ESG Fund (TBLU: BATS Stock Exchange).

Points to consider when investing in water include the possibility of regulatory controls and ethical considerations regarding its pricing \\u2013 especially for poor people. So, though water investing looks attractive, you need to weigh your own ethical values.

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Continuing the water investment theme \\u2013 and this being vacation time for many \\u2013 some listeners might be thinking about cruise lines as an investment. Well, as far as cruise lines go, Tim Nash writing for Corporate Knights throws cold water on two of the leading global cruise line companies.

Mr. Nash\\u2019s article is titled, Tim Nash\\u2019s Sustainable Stock Showdown: Can plastic pledges save troubled cruise lines? In it he reviews Carnival Corporation (CCL: NYSE) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL: NYSE).

Mr. Nash writes that Carnival was in the news recently as it pledged to end the use of all single-use plastics by 2021 and that this came a month after the company was fined $20 million for dumping overboard plastic waste near the Bahamas and prior to that was forced to pay a $40 million fine for illegally dumping oil. So, is Carnival becoming environmentally conscious or is this new gesture just a token event? One wonders\\u2026

Concerning Royal Caribbean, Mr. Nash comments that and I quote, \\u201cRoyal Caribbean has a dashboard of environmental goals for 2020 such as emissions reductions, sustainable sourcing and destination stewardship, but it doesn\\u2019t disclose targets or indicators.\\u201d End quote. My perspective is that without targets and authoritative independent review of them it\\u2019s just greenwashing.

In conclusion, Mr. Nash says, quoting him, that, \\u201cThe reality is both of these companies have leaky sustainability strategies, which could end up costing investors. Carnival Corporation has somewhat better transparency in its reporting but with a high carbon intensity, a poor CEO-to-worker pay ratio and a low tax responsibility, I wouldn\\u2019t blame sustainable investors for jumping ship.\\u201d End quote.

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Most cruise lines are noted for the terrific meals; however, I wonder if any of them are yet offering the Beyond Meat burger! Its stock has been on a tear. It\\u2019s been one of the most amazing IPOs in history with its recent stock price over $200 \\u2013 over eight times its IPO price of May 2! Presently though, it\\u2019s run into some headwinds as company insiders and executives plan to sell stock in a significant secondary stock issue. Some additional treasury stock will be sold too.

Again, the conclusion drawn from Beyond Meat\\u2019s success is the massive interest in meat alternatives which correspond, generally, to the significant rise in veganism and vegetarianism globally. This trend and investments related to it could become a core holding for ethical and sustainable investors.

Among the global food companies best positioned for plant-based food product sales are Unilever (ULVR: London Stock Exchange) and\\xa0Nestl\\xe9 (NESN: Swiss Stock Exchange) this according to UK-based FAIRR, a US$5.3tn-backed investor coalition, says Andy Coyne in an article titled, Unilever, Nestle among best prepared for plant-based future.

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Many of you no doubt visit the Morningstar site for investment and sustainability information. You\\u2019ll be happy to know that Morningstar is improving its sustainability rankings.

Quoting from an article titled, Morningstar Updates Sustainability Ratings, Gabriel Presler writes on their UK site, that, \\u201cThe goal is to provide investors with a greater understanding of how the companies in their portfolios are managing their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact compared to their peers. This rating change will allow investors to directly compare companies across industries.\\u201d End quote.

A criticism of mine has long been the need to be able to compare sustainable investing, ESG attributes, etc., across companies in the same or similar industries. So, this change is truly welcome.

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Two other quick bits of potentially useful information.

For Canadian ethical and sustainable investors, Canada\\u2019s revamped Responsible Investing Association website offers some terrific new resources. For instance, not only is it easy to find Canadian licensed responsible investing advisors, but investors can find Canadian mutual funds, ETFs, etc., that reflect their values by using the site\\u2019s new questionnaire feature. Simply go to https://www.riacanada.ca/ri-marketplace/

The second item is yet another warning about the proceeds of green bonds not going where you think they should be going.

In a Financial Times article, titled, Clearer metrics are needed to assess green bond authenticity, Joshua Kendall, a senior ESG analyst at Insight Investment, writes that \\u201cImagine lending money to a company to invest in green projects \\u2013 and that group then using the proceeds to pay off other debt. That money has no discernible environmental impact and there is nothing you can do: it is all in the contract\\u2026 Only a third of green bonds issued in the past three years met our three-stage criteria for sustainable issuance. This leads us to question the \\u2018green bond\\u2019 label and, more generally, it could undermine the authenticity of dedicated green bond funds.\\u201d Close quote.

The conclusion? Before investing in green bonds or green bond funds be very clear about what they\\u2019re investing in really does meet with your expectations!

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So, these are my top recent news stories and tips for ethical and sustainable investors.

Again, to get all the links or to read the transcript of this podcast and sometimes get additional information too, please go to investingforthesoul.com/podcasts and scroll down for this edition.

And be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or wherever you download or listen to this podcast and please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. That way you can help promote not only this podcast but ethical and sustainable investing globally.

And remember, I\\u2019m here to help you grow in your investment success \\u2013 and investing in opportunities that reflect your personal values!

Please don\\u2019t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the content of this podcast or anything else investment-related. I can\\u2019t say I\\u2019ll have all the answers for you and some answers I can\\u2019t give due to licensing restrictions. But where I can help I will.

Now, a big thank you for listening.

Come again! My next podcast is August 16. So, bye for now.

\\xa9 2019 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul.

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PODCAST: Kelloggs Beyond Meat, ESG Stock Tips, Ethical Pot Companies

Published: July 5, 2019, 7:52 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 37 seconds

\\xa0

(Note: my next podcast is August 2.) Kellogg has the most successful vegie burger, pressure begins for IPO. More ESG stock, fund, and portfolio tips. Abandon GE, buy Schneider Electric, says Tim Nash in his stock challenge. Pot companies plan to adopt ESG as they strive to be seen as responsible, ethical, and sustainable investments.

PODCAST: Kellogg\\u2019s \\u2018Beyond Meat,\\u2019 ESG Stock Tips, Ethical Pot Companies

Transcript & Links July 5, 2019

Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast Ethical & Sustainable Investing News to Profit By! for July 5, 2019\\u2014presented by Investing for the Soul. investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing information and resources. Please note that due to holidays my next podcast will be on August 2.

Now to this podcast. And, Google any terms that are unfamiliar to you.

Also, you can find a full transcript, live links and bonus material to this podcast at this edition\'s podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts

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Hey, about the continuing saga of Beyond Meat. Its stock as of this writing is still holding well over $150 s share.

Well, it seems that Brett Arends writing in MarketWatch has found that Kellogg has its own successful Beyond Meat competitor under the guise of its subsidiary MorningStar Farms -- and it\\u2019s going under the radar of everyone!

In an article titled, Kellogg is sitting on a \\u2018fake meat\\u2019 gold mine bigger than Beyond Meat, Brett argues that Kellogg, whose stock price has been struggling for years, should take MorningStar Farms public and might well become even more valuable than Beyond Meat.

Quoting Brett, he says, that, \\u201cKellogg already owns the largest single \\u2018fake meat\\u2019 operation in the country in MorningStar Farms, a brand that has been around since the 1970s. [and he says] Where\\u2019s its IPO?\\u201d

Continuing, Brett states, that, \\u201cI tried MorningStar\\u2019s \\u2018Grillers\\u2019 vegetarian burgers not long ago, on the recommendation of some friends. Frankly, I found them way better than Beyond Meat\\u2019s \\u2018Beyond Burgers\\u2019 and not obviously worse than the so-called \\u2018Impossible Burger\\u2019 that people are raving about. Close quote.

Brett says that Kellogg won\\u2019t break out the annual sales figures for MorningStar Farms\\u2014though he believes they could be around $450 million and that compares with $290 million for Beyond Meat\\u2019s 2019 sales estimate!

So, will Kellogg spin-off MorningStar Farms and do an IPO? Who knows but Sustainalytics gives Kellogg an ESG rating of 65\\u2014putting it in the 81st percentile of its peers and Reuters says analysts following the stock presently rate it as a hold. So, something you might consider.

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Barron\\u2019s the US investment daily paper recently published a piece by Karen Hube titled, How to Build Your Own ESG Portfolio. She says all the right things, such as the following, quoting her, "By putting your savings in funds that assess how a company is addressing (or worsening) environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, factors, you hitch your investments to good corporate citizens, and may earn above-average returns. But turning the concept into a practical investment portfolio without compromising on investing mandates such as diversification and due diligence comes with a unique set of challenges." End quote

So, some great points are made in her article, but her portfolio appears overly diversified to me. Statistically, having more than fifteen stocks in diversified industries across regions will give you very little extra statistical benefit. Also, no-doubt it\'ll include sectors and companies that won\'t please you!

Along similar lines, John Eade of Argus Research Group published their sustainable stock recommendations in a post, An Argus Research Portfolio for Sustainable Impact Stocks which appeared in Money Show. John likes: Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL: OQ), Ecolab Inc. (ECL: NYSE), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ: NYSE), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM: NYSE), McDonald\\u2019s Corp. (MCD: NYSE), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT: N), Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC: NYSE) and a few more that you can see by clicking the link in the transcript for this podcast.

Again, if you have or are interested in creating a portfolio of profitable individual stocks that reflect your values, learn how to do it properly and systematically in my one-hour DIY Ethical-Sustainable Investing Pays Tutorial. Take a few seconds to check it out! Go to investingforthesoul.com/podcasts and look down the right-hand sidebar.

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In speaking of portfolio diversification, heavy industry is not a sector that as an ethical and sustainable investor you might consider. Nonetheless, you can\\u2019t escape the necessity for it in our society and it can have a place in your portfolio too. So, in Tim Nash\\u2019s sustainable stock showdown pulls plug on GE, he compares General Electric (GE: NYSE) with Schneider Electric (SGBSY: OTC).

GE has been in the doldrums for several years. Tim says about GE, that, \\u201cGE was a great investment throughout the 20th century, but lacking a clear forward-looking strategy to transition into a low-carbon future, it\\u2019s no wonder that sustainable investors are turning out the lights on GE shares.\\u201d End quote

Concerning Schneider Electric, Tim says, that, \\u201cSchneider Electric is a French energy management company making hardware and software that helps companies improve their energy efficiency\\u2026 Schneider Electric at #60 on the 2019 Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list, and #13 on the 2019 Corporate Knights and As You Sow Clean200 list.\\u201d

Finally, he says, \\u201cIf you want to keep the lights on sustainably in the 2000s, forget GE. Schneider Electric is a better investment.\\u201d

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Yet another new low-cost ESG ETF has been launched. It\\u2019s the Xtrackers S&P 500 ESG ETF (NYSE: SNPE). What\\u2019s special about this ESG ETF is that it tracks the new S&P 500 ESG Index. According to Todd Shriber at Benzinga in a post, Another Cheap ESG ETF is Here, Todd writes, that, the \\u201cS&P Dow Jones launched the index earlier this year and its approach to ESG investing is traditional in that it excludes tobacco companies, civilian firearms manufacturers and companies with low scores based on the United Nations Global Compact for responsible business\\u2026

Continuing the quote, Todd says that, \\u201cThe new SNPE allocates over 27% of its weight to the technology sector and a combined 28.23% of its weight to the health care and consumer discretionary sectors. SNPE is home to 319 stocks. The financial services and industrial sectors combine for over 20% of the fund\'s weight.\\u201d

Now earlier I brought up the subject of over-diversification and here I\\u2019m concerned that like most other general ESG ETFs they tend to under diversify into a few key sectors\\u2014and so, for instance, when tech, health care, and financials do well, they thrive. Since these sectors have done so well in the past decade, portfolios that are heavily weighted in those sectors have generally outperformed.

However, with trade frictions, anti-monopolistic sentiments and governments potentially further regulating health care costs and privacy concerns coming to the fore, it\\u2019s possible that stock market leadership might rotate to other market sectors.

From another perspective that also relates in a way to diversification, is a protestation by James Gard in a Morningstar UK article. In it, he argues to be a little \\u2018looser\\u2019 in not being too strict in only including top ESG rated companies in your portfolio. His article is titled, Should ESG Funds Buy "Bad" Companies? James makes a point that, quote, \\u201cInvestors who shun such firms may miss out if these efforts pay off in the long-term.\\u201d

James further quotes Jon Hale, also of Morningstar, as follows, \\u201cWouldn\'t another investor come along to take the place of the \\u2018responsible\\u2019 investor? And if enough investors shun a company\'s stock, it could become undervalued and end up outperforming for those who don\'t have any problem investing in it.\\u201d And by the time that happens, that poor performing ESG stock could become a leading ESG stock with great stock price gains that you would\\u2019ve missed out on. So that\\u2019s the argument for loosening your ESG stock screening.

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Incidentally, terrific price gains have been made with pot stocks in recent years. But can they be worthy investments for ethical and sustainable investors? That\\u2019s a complicated question. Besides the personal values issues for you, you might\\u2019ve wondered if pot companies can do well with ESG issues?

Well, the pot industry is aiming to create its own ESG standards. Kristine Owram, writing in a Bloomberg article titled, Pot Firms Seek to Transition From Sin Stocks to Ethical Darlings, says, that, and I quote, "A group of 45 companies operating in the cannabis industry has crafted a set of standards that they hope could one day transform them from sin stocks into ESG darlings."

This will be fascinating to watch! Can pot companies be sold as health producing ESG focused entities to institutional investors? For a great review of the pot industry from an ESG perspective see the Sustainalytics post and report, ESG Risks of Cannabis Cultivation: Energy, Emissions and Pesticides.

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So, these are my top news stories and tips for ethical and sustainable investors over the past two weeks.

Again, to get all the links or to read the transcript of this podcast and sometimes get additional information too, please go to investingforthesoul.com/podcasts and scroll down for this edition.

And be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons in iTunes or wherever you listen to this podcast. That way you can help promote not only this podcast but ethical and sustainable investing globally.

And remember, I\\u2019m here to help you grow in your investment success\\u2014and investing in opportunities that reflect your personal values!

Please don\\u2019t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the content of this podcast or anything else investment related. I can\\u2019t say I\\u2019ll have all the answers for you and some answers I can\\u2019t give due to licensing restrictions. But where I can help I will.

Now, a big thank you for listening\\u2014and please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family.

Come again! And as I mentioned, my next podcast is scheduled for August 2. Yes, I\\u2019m taking a break. Talk to you then. Bye for now.

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PODCAST: Renewable Energy Energized, Greenwashing and Investing

Published: June 21, 2019, 7:38 p.m.
Duration: 15 minutes 57 seconds

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PODCAST: New ESG ETFs, Sustainable Companies, Vegan Stocks

Published: June 8, 2019, 8:33 p.m.
Duration: 18 minutes 45 seconds

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PODCAST: Top US ESG Companies, Solar Power Breakthrough, Investing Tip

Published: May 24, 2019, 8:04 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 33 seconds

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PODCAST: Best ESG Bond ETFs, Beyond Meat Shocks, SRI Engages Slavery

Published: May 10, 2019, 5:52 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 56 seconds

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PODCAST: Climate Change Investing, S&P ESG Product, Disruptive Wind Power Tech.

Published: April 26, 2019, 5:45 p.m.
Duration: 15 minutes 33 seconds

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PODCAST: S&P ESG 500, Sustainable Investing Grows, Green Bond Awards

Published: April 12, 2019, 6:23 p.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 6 seconds

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PODCAST: Green Bonds, ESG Indexes, Active or Passive ESG Funds?

Published: March 30, 2019, 2:35 a.m.
Duration: 17 minutes 30 seconds

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PODCAST: Low Cost ESG, Sustainable Companies, Robo-Advisor Greenwashing

Published: March 21, 2019, 9:10 p.m.
Duration: 15 minutes 6 seconds

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PODCAST: Green Finance, ESG Credit Ratings, Best Sustainable-Ethical Indices!

Published: Feb. 25, 2019, 8:57 p.m.
Duration: 20 minutes 56 seconds

My podcasts are planned every two weeks beginning March 16, 2019. This edition -- actually published February 26 -- is to test and obtain feedback from listeners on all aspects of its content and production. However, this podcast also contains great content! Included is a full transcript and links to all news covered and more!

Podcast notes November 23, 2018

For links to all the news I\\u2019m covering today, go to my Investing for the Soul homepage.

If any terms are unfamiliar to you, a good source for their definition is INVESTOPEDIA and scroll down to the very bottom to see their A-Z dictionary

News

1) Green finance: a contrarian take, by Thomas Hale, November 15, 2018, FT Advisor, UK.

"Renaissance\\u2019s argument thereafter is that, even if emerging markets have far lower ESG scores, directing capital their way allows for the highest overall rate of improvement, and so the greatest ethical utility. This is, unsurprisingly, an argument for more investment in EM."

Points:

1) The argument presented here by Renaissance Capital, a Russian investment bank, is equivalent to the idea of investing in companies who are just beginning to engage in ESG seriously so as to take advantage of their possible rapid stock price as they\'re identified as a potential \'high\' ESG company. As it\'s recognized by many investors that high ESG scoring companies also now have a premium to their stock prices.

2) Renaissance produces a wonderful graph showing how high GDP per capita is highly correlated to high ESG country scores.

3) Another quote, \\u201cAs a side note, the report finds \\u2018virtually zero correlation\\u2019 between ESG scores and sovereign bond pricing after adjusting for per capita GDP.)

Again, the argument here is that going for up and coming ESG performers in emerging countries could be a great bet for stock or bond outperformance.

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2) From upstream to mainstream: ESG at a tipping point, November 15, 2018, by IN Research and Calvert, Investment News, USA.

"In a year\'s time, the percentage of Millennials expressing a high level of interest in ESG investing jumped from 26% to 35%, advisers say, while the percentage of Gen Xers embracing ESG spiked from 16% to 25%.

This is more than a generational story, however... Twenty-six percent of ultra-high-net-worth investors now show a high level of interest in ESG investing, advisers say, up from only 10% in 2017. Similarly, interest among very-high net worth investors shot from 13% to 19% in a year\'s time."

Points:

1) These results are from a US survey of 300 advisors. The jump in numbers over just one-year is impressive. Demonstrates just how fast ESG is being accepted.

2) Somewhat interesting is that its regular advisors reporting the rapid growth. Generally, advisors have been \\u2018behind the curve\\u2019 regarding their positivity concerning sustainable, ESG and ethical investing. Now many are hurrying to get familiar with it!

3) Calvert, a well-known and respected ethical investing mutual fund manager was involved too. Not sure if this fact had a relevance to the conduct and results of the survey. Knowing Calvert, probably not.

4) You can download the full report here.

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3) Are ESG Ratings the New Credit Rating for Stock Prices? By Ginger Szala, November 19, 2018, ThinkAdvisor, USA. "A new MSCI study of ESG ratings finds they have a similar impact on share prices as do credit ratings."

Points:

1) Though to me the findings are unsurprising, it is the first study to demonstrate that ESG ratings have a similar impact to credit ratings on a company\'s stock price.

This finding will no doubt be challenged, but comes at a time when investors everywhere are looking at the inclusion of ESG criteria in their investment research. It bodes well for the mainstreaming of ESG!

2) Many credit ratings\\u2019 agencies such as S&P, Moody\\u2019s and Fitch have long been criticized for potential significant conflicts of interest and bias. They take clients\\u2019 funds to provide new issue ratings and have historically slow to act to in changing their ratings, particularly negatively, to new circumstances!

So, since ESG ratings\\u2019 companies like Sustainalytics, MSCI, RobecoSAM, etc., don\\u2019t take funds for their corporate ratings\\u2014as far as I know\\u2014they may well be even a greater indicator of corporate \\u2018safety\\u2019 than the credit ratings\\u2019 agencies!

3) You can download the MSCI study here.

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4) Companies Leading on Disability Inclusion Outperform Peers, by Megan Amrich, November 20, 2018, TriplePundit, USA. "Accenture, in partnership with Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), has released \'Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage.\' This report looks at both the disability practices and financial performance of 140 companies over the past four years... Companies that \'embrace best practices for employing and supporting more people with disabilities in their workforces\' are several times more likely to outperform their peers financially."

Points:

1)\\xa0This is a pioneering and worthy study. It might also be true that employees with disabilities feel they have to prove themselves and so are more productive. Hence, forward-looking companies know this and so increasingly employ individuals with disabilities? Thus, such employment is not always out of charity.

2) One has to wonder too, however, is that highly profitable companies feel they are able to hire more persons with disability because of the high profits?

3) Are such companies also aiming to create even higher reputation in the communities they serve?

Subject: \\xa0What are the best ESG-Sustainable-Ethical indices?

The range of indices is immense today. When I began to follow these around 2001, there were a handful globally, and mostly unknown. Today, it\\u2019s extraordinary the number of them and what they cover.

The idea of these indices are that they can act as benchmarks for you to assess your own performance. Furthermore, there are numerous mutual funds and ETFs that you can be purchased that are based on them.

For a good listing of them go to my page, Ethical Investing Stock and Bond Indices.

Here are my favourites though.

Equities

Dow Jones Sustainability Index
One of the oldest index families and an ethical investor\\u2019s favourite.
\\u201cThe family was launched in 1999 as the first global sustainability benchmark and tracks the stock performance of the world\'s leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria.\\u201d The DJSI data is compiled and analyzed by the Swiss organization RobecoSAM. They review some 10,000 companies!\\u201d

Fossil Free Indexes(Global) "The Fossil Free Indexes are a suite of benchmarks designed for investable products that provide broad market exposure to index investors who wish to divest from fossil fuel companies. These investors are typically motivated either by a concern about unacceptable levels of climate change or by a concern about overvaluation and risk in the sector." These indices are capitalization weighted, meaning that larger companies have a bigger influence in the index; smaller companies a smaller weight.

FTSE4Good Index Series and FTSE Smart Sustainability Index Series(Global) "The FTSE4Good Index Series is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. Transparent management and clearly-defined ESG criteria make FTSE4Good indices suitable tools to be used by a wide variety of market participants when creating or assessing responsible investment products."

FTSE Russell Green Revenues Index Series(Global) "FTSE Russell\\u2019s Green Revenues (LCE) data model and Green Revenues Index Series track companies that generate green revenues \\u2013 a critical component missing from current sustainability models. Now, investors can accurately identify and support their investment in companies that stand to benefit from the world\\u2019s transition to a green economy with consistent, transparent data and indexes." I really like the concept of this index with it\\u2019s scoring based on green revenues! That means industries such as tobacco, won\\u2019t score highly, whereas in other ESG-sustainable-ethical indices, they could!

MSCI ESG Indices(Global) "With 40 years of expertise in index construction and maintenance, MSCI aims to set new standards for ESG indices \\u2013 allowing clients to more effectively benchmark ESG investment performance, issue index-based ESG investment products, as well as to manage, measure and report on their compliance with ESG mandates."

NASDAQ Green Economy Indices What I like about these are that there\\u2019re separate indices for various types of alternative energy sectors, such as solar and wind plus indices focusing on water services and products.
(Global) "NASDAQ OMX offers a complete family of indexes tracking the growing environmental and clean-energy sector, also known as the \'Green Economy.\' Green Economy is the shift of economic development towards sustainable practices in business and infrastructure..."

S&P Dow Jones ESG Indices
They truly offer something for almost any sustainable-ethically oriented investor!

Canada\\u2014Equities

Jantzi Social Index(JSI)
I\\u2019ve known Michael Jantzi, whose firm established this index, since the 1990s. He is head of and founded, Sustainalytics, one of the world\\u2019s leading ESG ratings\\u2019 agencies.
(Canada) "In January 2000, Jantzi Research launched the Jantzi Social Index\\xae, partnered with Dow Jones Indexes. The JSI, a socially screened, market capitalization-weighted common stock index modeled on the S&P/TSX 60 consists of 60 Canadian companies that pass a set of broadly based environmental, social, and governance rating criteria. The JSI has begun to generate the first definitive data on the effects of social screening on financial performance in Canada."

Bonds

S&P ESG Sovereign Bond index family
\\u201cThe S&P ESG Sovereign Bond Index family offers investors exposure to the same sovereign bonds as standard cap-weighted sovereign bond indices but tilts the country weights towards more sustainable countries, based on RobecoSAM\\u2019s\\u201d

\\xa9 2019 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul. All rights reserved.

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