LRGE

Interview with SDM Investments’ Kevin Truitt — ESG in a Few Words: “Good Ethics, Honesty, Respect, and Dignity”

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Image: SDM Investments’ Kevin Truitt (left) and Valuentum’s Brian Nelson (right) pause for a picture at the Chicago Chapter of the American Association of Individual Investors (December 2016). Brian Nelson, CFA: We’d like to introduce Kevin Truitt, manager in charge of the equity investments at SDM Investments, an investment management firm based in Merrillville, Indiana.  Kevin and I have been friends for more than a decade now, and he’s even written an article about combining value and momentum investing in the AAII Journal a number of years ago, “Investing’s Odd Couple: Value and Momentum.”  Kevin, thanks for sharing your knowledge, wisdom, and experience with us. With that said, let’s get right into the questions. Can you provide some background about … Read more

Putting the Environmental in ESG

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Valuentum’s ESG newsletter helps identify which stocks have strong ESG scores, and which ones come up short. Subscribe to the monthly Valuentum ESG Newsletter today by selecting the ‘Subscribe’ button below (12 editions, $1,000/year).   —– By Valuentum Analysts There is no single definition for ESG investing beyond the words that make up the acronym – Environmental, Social, and Governance. Investors looking at ESG may be doing so for a variety of reasons with a variety of different needs. But for every investor, a focus on ESG allows for a fuller consideration of the company, as a whole, as well as how that company impacts the 21st century landscape, as it relates to rewarding social responsibility by investing in companies … Read more

What Really Is the “S” in ESG Investing

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By Valuentum Analysts Back in October, we explored “Putting the Environmental in ESG” investing. In this article, let’s dig deep into the second consideration of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing — “Social.” While there has been greater attention paid to the social impact of companies in recent years–from the industries they operate in to the ways they impact their communities–this concept is definitely not a new trend. Investors have always cared about the impact of the companies they invest in. In the past, this idea has been encapsulated in the phrase Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), which is essentially the practice of seeking out companies that have a positive social impact on society. Some even put the earliest origins of … Read more

Governance: The G in ESG Investing

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By Valuentum Analysts No discussion of ESG investing would be complete without addressing the role of corporate governance (“stewardship”) in equity investing. As with the other aspects of ESG investing, corporate governance covers a lot of ground. It can include pretty much anything related to how a company is run, including leadership, executive compensation, audits and accounting, and shareholder rights. These areas are just the tip of the iceberg, however.  A company with good corporate governance is one that is run well with the proper incentives and with all stakeholders in mind, from employees to suppliers to customers to shareholders and beyond. Good corporate governance practices decrease the risk to investors as it cuts through conflicts of interest, misuse of … Read more