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 […]
December Monthly Commentary
Equities rounded out a banner year with additional gains on the back of strong earnings and economic growth. Maintaining their lead, emerging market stocks returned 3.6% in December, according to the MSCI EM index, racking up gains of 37.9% in 2017. The S&P 500 was up 1.1% on the month and—setting a new record—was in […]
The Climate Action 100+ Initiative
This week at the One Planet Summit in Paris, a new initiative was launched. The Climate Action 100+ Initiative, will drive action on climate change at the world’s largest emitters. Led by some of the world’s leading investor climate advocacy networks, the initiative brings together 225 Investors with more than 26.3 trillion in assets under management. The […]