News & Commentaries by Ron Robins ————————————————————- WISHING YOU A HEALTHY, HAPPY, & PROSPEROUS 2013! Engaging Companies On Their ESG Issues Generates Company Benefits & Profits, Say Researchers. – [COMMENTARY] “We analyze an extensive proprietary database of corporate social responsibility engagements with US public companies over 1999…2009. Engagements address environmental, social, and governance concerns. They…

News & Commentaries by Ron Robins ————————————————————- GMI Ratings Releases Second “Black Swan Risk List” Of North American Companies. – [COMMENTARY] “40 Companies with the Most Aggressive Accounting Practices and the Highest Risk of Major Drops in Share Prices.” To focus on aggressive accounting policies is a good one.Download list. GMI Ratings Releases Second “Black…

News & Commentaries by Ron Robins ————————————————————- BSR Survey: Investors Don′t Read CSR Reports.– [COMMENTARY] “Sustainability has traveled lightyears in the last two decades, but is not yet woven into the fabric of the American corporation, according to this year′s BSR/Globescan State of Sustainable Business 2012 survey of 550 member companies. The survey, looking at…

News & Commentaries by Ron Robins ————————————————————- Investors With $2 Trillion In Assets Say Executive Remuneration, Climate Change & Labour Standards Most Important Issues For Future Company Engagement.– [COMMENTARY] “Institutional investors managing more than $2 trillion in assets have identified executive remuneration, climate change and supply chain labour standards as priority areas for engagement with…

News & Commentaries by Ron Robins ————————————————————- Use Of Corporate Governance Ratings Demonstrates Superior Investment Returns.– [COMMENTARY] “Over the 10-year period ended July 1, 2012, a portfolio of companies with top-decile AGR ratings would have outperformed the lowest-decile portfolio by 55%… AGR reflects a broad spectrum of accounting irregularities and weaknesses in corporate governance statistically…

News & Commentaries by Ron Robins ————————————————————- Sustainable Investment Portfolios Significantly Outperform Averages, Says Study.– [COMMENTARY] “Oekom Research looked at companies in its Prime Portfolio Large Caps (PPLC) … a group of 300 major firms with sustainability accreditations … over a seven-year period between 2004 and 2011, and compared their performance against the MSCI World…