Investors who are looking into socially responsible investment strategies may consider an exchange traded fund capitalizing on businesses that may be stronger for having access to a valuable talent pool that veterans represent.
On the recent webcast, How U.S. Veterans Make Companies Stronger, Richard Cea, Head of InsightShares, outlined the growing popularity of ESG or environmental, social and governance investments that incorporate these factors into the investing decision making process with the goal of measuring the sustainability and ethical impact of an investment in a business. These types of ESG investments help people align one’s beliefs with an investment outcomes without sacrificing returns, and it is especially popular among the younger millennial generation.
As part of the ESG or socially responsible investment category, military friendly employment opportunities may also translate to enhanced businesses. We are continuing to experience unprecedented military activity, which has created a greater pool of veterans hitting the job market. The U.S. has been actively involved in military action since 1990, with almost 25% of current veterans from post-Desert Storm.
How to Help Investors Connect with Their Portfolios
Through the recently launched InsightShares Patriotic Employers ETF (NYSEArca: HONR), InsightShares Powered by UBS brings to market a product that allow investors to connect more directly with their portfolio. Cea explained that HONR allows investors to do good and do well at the same time by supporting veterans who have sacrificed so much for our freedom and investing in a product that offers attractive potential returns.
Chris Hale, Chairman of Viqtory, explained that hiring veterans is certainly the “right” thing to do, and employers have figured out that it makes good business sense as well. For instance, veterans bring with them a number of useful skills that may be applied across a number of fields, including leadership, resilience, team building, adaptability, work ethic and mastery of technologies.
However, there are challenges when veterans translate their military skills and transition into a civilian workplace. Businesses often are troubled when recruiting and retaining veterans in jobs that are appropriate for their skill set.
As a way to better filter and screen for companies that have a great job in adequately incorporating veteran skills into their business, VIQTORY has developed the so-called Military Friendly Ratings, which is backed by more than 16 years of data that identified companies who are doing the best job of providing opportunities to our country’s veterans.