Chevron, ExxonMobil Face Growing Investor Concerns About Climate Risk
Kathy Mulvey, Climate Accountability Campaign Manager, Union of Concerned Scientists In preparation for their annual meetings on May 31, both Chevron and ExxonMobil opposed every climate-related resolution put forth by their shareholders. In a previous post, I wrote that Chevron continues to downplay climate risks while attempting to convince shareholders that the company’s political activities—which include […]
April Monthly Commentary
Global Bonds Citi World Gov’t 1.3% 2.9 -3.6 -1.1 -0.6 Global equities continued their steady march upwards in April, driven by a positive uptick in economic indicators and moderating geopolitical concerns. Non-US stocks led the charge with international developed equities posting gains of 2.5%, propelled by a late-month rally in Europe as investors took […]
SRIC Conducts Due Diligence on HPQ and HPE
On November 23, 2016, the Socially Responsible Investing Committee (SRIC) announced that HP Inc. (HPQ) was no longer going to be screened out of the Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund (UUCEF). While we did announce that HPQ had become eligible for investment, the SRIC has not yet allowed our managers to purchase shares of HPQ. […]
March Monthly Commentary
US equities went out like a lamb in March after coming in like a lion at the beginning of the year. Domestic stocks fell broadly in the aftermath of the GOP’s failure to repeal and replace Obamacare as investors questioned the likelihood and efficacy of future tax reforms in light of the ongoing political gridlock. […]
UUCEF Changes Custodial Bank
The UUA recently completed the transition of its custodial services for the UUCEF from State Street Bank and Trust to U.S. Bank N.A. If you or anyone in your office has a UUCEF Contribution Form on file, please dispose of it, the bank instructions are no longer valid. You can print or save a new […]
February Monthly Commentary
Global equities rallied in February as international stocks got a boost from positive economic data and domestic equities were bolstered by expectations of corporate tax reform and deregulation. The S&P 500 returned 4.0% as major US indices hit record highs following President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress as investors interpreted a more […]
January Monthly Commentary
Emerging market stocks took the lead in January, bolstered by a strong showing of currencies, including the Brazilian real, Mexican peso and the South African rand. The MSCI Emerging Market Index gained 5.5% on the month. At home, the S&P 500 eked out returns of 1.9% as strong earnings from the major technology companies offset […]
December Monthly Commentary
US equities continued to march upward in December, shrugging off an appreciating dollar and a rate hike from the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 gained 2.0% on the month, racking up returns of 12.0% in 2016; the Russell 2000 gained 2.8% in December and 21.3% for the year. International developed equities were also in the […]
November Monthly Commentary
Equities confounded expectations, touching record highs in November, even as an unexpected outcome to the US presidential election heightened global uncertainties. The S&P 500 Index returned 3.7% last month, surpassing the 2200 price level for the first time on November 22; the Russell 2000 Index gained 5.9%, driven by a surge in value stocks. This […]
Socially Responsible Investing for the Individual
One of the most common questions we get at the Socially Responsible Investing Committee is “Can I invest in the UU Common Endowment Fund? If not, how should I invest my personal funds in a socially responsible manner?” Because of the nature of our UU Common Endowment Fund, individual investors cannot invest in the fund. […]