CSR, Profits ‘Closely Linked.′ – [COMMENTARY] “In the AFA [Adam Friedman Associates] survey, 88 percent of respondents cited company reputation as a factor in CSR decision-making. This was followed by the company′s competitive positioning and social consciousness, which 71 percent of respondents mentioned. Profitability (38 percent) and pending or existing legislation (32 percent) were determined…

European Banking Ethics Study Notes Challenges For Banks. – [COMMENTARY] “Ethics is seen as reputational risk but is not included in risk management of organisations as such. Financial institutions have ethics policies in place but lag behind in setting targets and objectives implying that the level of integration and progress cannot be evaluated. Most financial…

Germany Acts to Increase Limits On High-Speed Trades. – [COMMENTARY] “Germany intends to be one of the first countries to try to put the brakes on high-frequency trading, the computer-driven force that has been rattling stock markets across the globe.” Congratulations to Germany! High-speed traders, by the very speed of their computers and frequent preferential…

Goldman Sachs Invests In First U.S. Social Impact Bond. – [COMMENTARY] “Goldman Sachs has signed on as the investor in the U.S.′s first social impact bond, a new public-private financing structure that asks investors to bear at least partial risk for the outcomes of government-funded social programs. While Goldman′s risk has been somewhat attenuated by…

Women As Directors Beat Men-Only Boards In Company Stock Return. – [COMMENTARY] “Shares of companies with a market capitalization of more than $10 billion and with women board members outperformed comparable businesses with all-male boards by 26 percent worldwide over a period of six years, according to a report by the Credit Suisse Research Institute,…

Toyota, Johnson & Johnson and Honda Are The Top Global Green Brands, Says Interbrand. – [COMMENTARY] “After evaluating the world′s top brands on the basis of their performance as well as the public′s perception of their green credentials, Interbrand and Deloitte have carefully ranked—and wholeheartedly applaud—the 50 Best Global Green Brands that are featured in…