October Monthly Commentary
Global equities continued their stellar run in October with technology stocks driving markets higher across the world. During this period, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index led the way with returns of 4.2% with strong support from Taiwanese and South Korean equity markets. The S&P 500 gained 2.3% in October, benefitting from another strong earnings season […]
Notable Enhancements to the UU Common Endowment Fund
We’ve made a few notable enhancements to the UU Common Endowment Fund (UUCEF) since September, making decisions through the lens of UU values – with each of these, we are living up to our commitments to invest in underserved communities, address both health and economic inequality, and promote environmental justice, while seeking risk adjusted financial […]
September Monthly Commentary
Equities posted another strong month in September with the S&P 500 gaining 3.7% while hitting a new high; large- and small-cap growth indexes were up 5.3% and 4.2%, respectively. Meanwhile, international equities were also in the black with the MSCI EAFE Index returning 1.9% and MSCI Emerging Markets outperforming with gains of 7.2%; both international […]
August Monthly Commentary
Stocks and bonds ended August broadly in the black on the back of resilient corporate earnings, and heightened expectations for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve amid mixed economic data. Notably, the July non-farm payrolls report indicated the addition of a modest 73,000 jobs along with downward revisions of 258,000 jobs to the May […]
UUA Board Approves Updates to UUCEF Investment Policy Statement
The UUA Board of Trustees recently approved an updated Investment Policy Statement (IPS). The updates include the strategic asset allocation ranges, which are reviewed annually, and edits to Community Investment language to provide greater definition on what constitutes a market rate investment.
UUA Strategies to Advance Climate Justice – Recording & Resources
Mathew Jensen, UUA Senior Investment Officer, and Rachel Myslivy, UUA Climate Justice Strategist, hosted a webinar on September 17th, 2025, to share more about the President’s Climate Justice Working Group’s Draft Commitments for Culture and Resources, including implications and intentions for the UU Common Endowment. The recording is linked below, with additional related resources included. […]
UUCEF Proxy Voting Update
At the UU Common Endowment Fund (UUCEF), proxy voting is a key way we put our values into practice as investors. Our Investment Policy Statement emphasizes that active ownership – including proxy voting, corporate engagement, and filing shareholder resolutions – is essential to advancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities. We use the ISS( Institutional […]
Sustainable Banking for Congregations, an Update
In our participation at recent UUA webinars, several attendees asked about our presentation on Sustainable Banking for Congregations made at the 2025 General Assembly. For background, a sustainable bank is a financial institution that integrates environmental, social, and governance principles into its core operations. Unlike conventional banks, sustainable banks often prioritize lending and investment practices […]
UUCEF at Green Sanctuary
Please join us for a member webinar introducing the UUA Strategies to Advance Climate Justice and the Green Sanctuary 2030 initiative—an interactive session designed to connect our endowment’s mission and stewardship with concrete, values-aligned climate action. We’ll walk through what the program is, how congregations and partners engage, and practical ways our endowment community can support impact […]
July Monthly Commentary
Stocks hit all-time highs in July, with the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ repeatedly setting new records. Corporate earnings were a bright spot last month as the S&P 500’s blended earnings growth rate overshot expectations with over 80% of companies reporting earnings that exceeded street estimates. During this period, the S&P 500 gained 2.2% with […]