April Monthly Commentary
Volatility continued to roil markets in April as trade tensions escalated between the US and China. However, developed market equities still ended the month in the black amid a stronger than expected earnings season; the S&P 500 Index returned 0.4% and the MSCI EAFE Index gained 2.3% for the month. Within fixed income, the specter […]
Mark Ewert Recommends UUCEF for Congregations
Mark Ewert, one of the fundraising consultants on the Stewardship for Us team, recommends that congregations consider the UUCEF for their investment management needs. Stewardship for Us is a group of independent fundraising consultants closely affiliated with the UUA. In a recent blog Mark wrote, “we, as a denomination, have a powerful tool in the […]
June Monthly Commentary
Equities saw no respite from volatility in June as trade concerns weighed on markets. Despite the uncertainty, the S&P 500 Index eked out gains of 0.6% for the month – ending the quarter up 3.4%. However, markets outside the US fared worse. Roiled by a strengthening US dollar—the yuan, for instance, fell 4.2% versus the […]
Shareholder Advocacy Builds Pressure on Fossil Fuel Companies
Pursuant to the 2014 Business Resolution on Fossil Fuel Divestment, the UUA retains investments in major fossil fuel companies for the purposes of shareholder advocacy on environmental justice and the clean energy transition. (Read the 2018 Treasurer’s report on implementation of the Business Resolution here). Corporate annual meetings are a key forum for shareholder advocacy — and […]
March Monthly Commentary
Volatility hobbled equity markets in March amid escalating tensions over a potential trade war between the United States and China. With a tit-for-tat tariff battle underway between the world’s two largest economies, the S&P 500 Index slumped 2.5% and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index declined 1.9% last month; the S&P 500 fell 0.8% for the […]
February Monthly Commentary
Global equities snapped their winning streak amid a spike in volatility, resulting in a moderate correction early February. Investors’ concerns around rising wage inflation potentially leading to more aggressive rate hikes by the Fed and a larger projected government deficit interrupted the S&P 500’s golden run of 15 straight months of gains as the index […]
Time to Align: Rewiring the Conversation About Active Management
MFS, one of the investment managers of the UUCEF, recently published a white paper about the market cycle, tendency of many investors to focus on shorter performance horizons, and what investors can do to improve their oversight. Paper by: Carol Geremia President, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc.
Taking Stock: Last Week’s Market Correction: A Short-Term Blip or a Long-Term Trend?
The most recent blog from Christopher Levell, ASA, CFA, CAIA, Partner at NEPC has to do with last weeks market correction. You can read the full story on NEPC’s blog, Taking Stock. Last week saw the S&P 500 Index drop more than 10%—technically qualifying as a market correction—after hitting a record high in late January. […]
January Monthly Commentary
Global equities continued their winning streak in the new year. Emerging market stocks maintained their lead—gaining 8.3% in January, according to the MSCI EM Index—bolstered by a weaker US dollar, stronger commodity prices, and sustained economic growth. The S&P 500 and MSCI EAFE indexes posted returns of 5.7% and 5.0%, respectively. As the month ended, […]
UUA Shareholder Advocacy Wrap-up FY17
Climate justice advocates, including the Unitarian Universalist Association, scored a major victory this spring when a majority of ExxonMobil shareholders bucked management and voted to ask the oil giant to report what would happen if the world adhered to the Paris Accords. Climate change, Indigenous rights, executive compensation and transparency in political spending remained at […]