investments News

Rising ‘Anti-ESG’ Sentiment in US Is Impacting Funds, HSBC Says

The backlash against investing strategies that factor in environmental, social and governance issues is rising in the US and is impacting the way managers are thinking about integrating such considerations into their funds, according to a survey by HSBC Holdings …

ESG Managers Say Wave of Probes, Scorn Heralds Better Days Ahead

ESG investment strategies are being probed for deceptive labeling, criticized for excluding firms like Tesla Inc. and questioned as to whether they actually work. All this, some sustainable fund managers said, could be a good thing. Tough scrutiny of loosely-regulated …

Investors Say U.S. SEC Climate Disclosure Rule to Clarify ‘Mixed Bag’ of Data

Investors, including several who run environmentally focused funds, welcomed the U.S. government’s proposed new rule on corporate disclosure of climate-related risks and emissions, saying it would standardize reports that now are voluntary and vary widely in quality and breadth. The …

Massachusetts City’s Pension Fund Lost $3.5M in Email Scam

An employee of Quincy’s pension fund wrongly sent $3.5 million in a wire transfer in February 2021 in response to a scam email and the funds have not been recovered. The Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission is investigating the Quincy …

Reinsurers’ Investment Strategies Offer Buffer for Low Interest Rates, Pandemic: S&P

A decade of low interest rates and tough underwriting conditions has led reinsurers to cautiously invest in riskier and more illiquid assets to generate additional return. The good news is that this strategy also has helped reinsurers tolerate the economic …

Equity Volatility Is Most Significant Risk for Investors: AIA Group CIO

Heightened equity market volatility extending beyond the U.S. presidential election is the most significant risk for investors, AIA Group’s chief investment officer said on Tuesday. Mark Konyn, group CIO at the insurance and securities firm in Hong Kong, told the …

AXIS Capital Sets Clean Energy Policy Designed to Reduce Climate Risks

AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. won’t insure, invest in or provide insurance or reinsurance for new coal plants or oil pipelines as part of an initiative designed to reduce climate risks and support the switch to renewable energy. The new policy …

UK’s Legal & General Is Divesting Exxon Shares Over Climate Change

One of Britain’s biggest fund managers started selling shares in Exxon Mobil Corp., saying America’s largest oil company isn’t doing enough to address climate change. Legal & General Investment Management, which oversees about $1.3 trillion and is one of Exxon’s …

Dutch Insurer Weighs Cutting Cover for Gambling, Arms, Nuclear Power

Europe’s biggest insurers refuse to sell policies to coal miners and arms producers. A Dutch firm may go further by denying coverage to gambling companies and nuclear-power generators. The asset-management arm of ASR Nederland NV already has a list of …

Hannover Re Cuts Exposure to Coal-Based Risks, Limiting Investments, Underwriting

Hannover Re announced it is scaling back its exposure to coal-fired power plants and coal mines, joining a growing list of re/insurers that have made similar moves. In addition to excluding coal-based projects from its investment portfolio, Hannover Re said, …