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In the first part of this three-part series, we examined the basics of ESG investing. To reiterate, the E in ESG stands for environmental issues such as pollution and climate change, while the S represents a company’s social attitudes as in how it treats its employees, its customers, and its investors. Finally, the G for governance looks at issues such as boardroom diversity, executive compensation, conflicts of interest and shareholder rights.

A new generation of socially conscious investors is spreading its influence over the corporate world. Today’s investors are often millennials (typically those born between 1981 and 1996) who have grown up on a planet that is obviously getting warmer. They don’t want investment returns that come at the expense of the environment, nor results achieved without the guidance of people who have been historically underrepresented at senior management levels. Millennials won’t invest until they know a corporation’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) practices are fair and reasonable.

The TSX index was up some 3.3 % in December recovering from the onset of the Omicron virus due to strength in the Financials, Materials and Real Estate Sectors. Strong employment numbers and high commodity prices contributed to this result. Below we discuss the top and bottom-performing ETFs in Canada for the month of December. The table of the top and bottom three performing ETFs can be seen below:

Portfolio strategy is a blueprint which investors use to create their optimal portfolios to achieve their financial goals. The strategy can take various forms for different investors. Some investors might be passive investors, tracking indices and markets, while others might take on a more active approach selecting and picking funds or stocks that match their view. A strategy, ideally, must also define when and how often would an investor rebalance their portfolio, time horizon, liquidity needs, and risk tolerance.

An investment strategy defines and guides investors on selection of an investment portfolio. The guidance is based on investment goals, future needs, risk tolerance and personal preference. While there can be many types of strategies, there are five broad categories an investor can fit in.

Women in leadership

Time and again, studies have shown that female-driven companies or companies with more female employees have the tendency to outperform the market. In a 2019 study by S&P Global Market Intelligence, it was noted that firms with female CFOs are more profitable and generated excess profits of $1.8T over the study horizon[1]. 

Ellen Roseman speaks with Fred Pye, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 3iQ Corporation about Bitcoin, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. They discuss how Bitcoin is mined, the 3iQ CoinShares Bitcoin ETF - BTCQ and what investors, who are considering adding crypto to their portfolios, should think about.