August Monthly Commentary

Following a strong rebound in July, equities came under pressure last month as central banks around the globe reiterated their commitment to tighter monetary policies amid persisting inflationary pressures despite softening growth. In the U.S., the S&P 500 Index fell … Continued

IMPORTANT: Changes to UUCEF Statements

Notice of Changes to Your Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund (UUCEF) Statements and Accounting Process as of New Fiscal Year The UUA finance / accounting staff have been reviewing changes to our accounting processes with the vendor who provides the … Continued

July Monthly Commentary

Stocks rebounded in July despite rising inflation and pessimistic macroeconomic data. In the U.S., headline CPI trended higher, rising 9.1% over the 12 months ending in June. On an inflation-adjusted basis, the U.S. economy contracted at an annual rate of … Continued

June Monthly Commentary

The global rout in equities continued into June as elevated inflation levels and tighter monetary policy exacerbated concerns around a recession. In the U.S., headline CPI unexpectedly accelerated, jumping 8.6% over the 12 months ending in May, while core CPI … Continued

May Monthly Commentary

Despite a difficult start to the year, global equities modestly rebounded in May. The S&P 500 Index eked out a gain of 0.2% for the month, even as mega-cap technology names faltered with rising interest rates and earnings pressure. Growth … Continued

Progress Update on 2021 Responsive Resolution

This article provides an update of the various actions taken by UUA staff and the Association’s Investment and Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) Committees since receiving the 2021 Responsive Resolution from the General Assembly, Creating a More Just Future Through Divesting … Continued

Big Oil Investors Put to the Test at Annual Shareholder Meetings

Last week was the culmination of major oil and gas companies’ annual general meetings, also known as annual shareholder meetings. As in previous years, climate-related shareholder proposals were on the agenda for Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron, and climate advocates urged major investors, including BlackRock, to vote for climate … Continued

April Monthly Commentary

Tighter monetary policy, geopolitical tensions and lockdowns in China dragged down equities in April. The backup in global bond yields remained a headwind for stocks, with growth equities generally underperforming value. In the U.S., the S&P 500 plummeted 8.7%—its largest … Continued

March Monthly Commentary

Ongoing geopolitical tensions and tighter monetary policy amid persisting inflationary pressures weighed on capital markets in March. The FOMC hiked rates for the first time since 2018, increasing interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 0.25%-0.50%. Further, … Continued

February Monthly Commentary

Risk-off sentiment washed over markets in February as the Ukraine-Russia conflict fueled concerns around the potential impact on the global economy, the geopolitical landscape, and capital markets. While our expertise is focused on investment portfolios, we are mindful of the … Continued