Impact Shares, with backing from The Rockefeller Foundation’s Zero Gap Portfolio, partnered up with YWCA to launch a new ETF that allows investors to track companies with gender-equality standards while also backing the future efforts of YWCA, a leader in women’s advocacy for the last 160 years.
On Monday, Impact Shares and YWCA rolled out the Impact Shares YWCA Women’s Empowerment ETF (NYSEArca: WOMN), which has a 0.75% expense ratio.
“We believe this is an important step in the evolution of women’s advocacy. YWCA has established themselves as the leading women’s organization and the ETF provides them with the tools needed to expand their impact into the private sector and help companies demonstrate leadership on issues impacting women. We are excited to partner with YWCA in providing investors access to a basket of companies that have strong policies and practices in support of women’s empowerment and gender equality,” Ethan Powell, CEO of Impact Shares, said in a note.
The Impact Shares YWCA Women’s Empowerment ETF tries to reflect the performance of the Morningstar Women’s Empowerment Index, which is comprised of U.S. large- and mid- capitalization companies that are “empowering to women” and exhibits risk and return characteristics similar to those of the Morningstar US Large-Mid Cap Index, according to the fund’s prospectus.
A Rules-Based Indexing Methodology
The underlying index employs a rules-based indexing methodology that selects companies with strong women’s empowerment practices by using company level indicators, scores, and indicator relevance weighting from Equileap, the Fund’s ESG research provider.
Equileap excludes those that are involved in the weapons, gambling, or tobacco industries; are on the Norwegian Ethics Council List; or have experienced an applicable legal controversy.
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Additionally, Morningstar uses a quantitative process designed to determine optimal weights for securities to maximize exposure of those with higher rankings based on women’s empowerment practices.
“The WOMN ETF puts the power to empower women in everyone’s hands. It allows us to leverage the capital markets to further our 160-year mission to eliminate racism and empower women. The entire YWCA network, made up of more than 200 local associations, is excited about this innovative product that provides the investor the opportunity to generate both financial and social returns, and helps fuel the future of our work,” Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO of YWCA USA, said in a note.
For more information on new fund products, visit our new ETFs category.