When consider ESG investments, French argued that investors should consider three things: returns and impact, deeper insight and return potential.
ESG investments try to deliver returns while monitoring the long-term impact of a company’s business practices on society, the environment and performance of the business.
Incorporation of non-financial data over ESG practices can provide deeper insight into company performance, compared to traditional fundamental analysis. A number of third-party firms are now providing ESG metrics from companies and comprehensive ESG scoring on a number of firms.
Lastly, recent academic research has shown that high ESG ratings are correlated with lower cost of capital, market-based outperformance and accounting-based outperformance. Harvard Business School discovered that “high sustainability” firms outperform “low sustainability” firms over the long haul with lower volatility.
Along with the ESG weights to potentially enhance returns and limit risks, OppenheimerFunds ETFs also implement a revenue-weighting methodology that could provide diversified exposure to the market, is not influenced by stock price, reflects a truer indication of a company’s value and offers stable sector exposure.
Investors who believe in a return to fundamentals can look to the revenue-weighted methodology, including other options like the Oppenheimer Large Cap Revenue ETF (NYSEArca: RWL), Oppenheimer Mid Cap Revenue ETF (NYSEArca: RWK) and Oppenheimer Small Cap Revenue ETF (NYSEArca: RWJ).
For more information on sustainable investments, visit our socially responsible ETFs category.