|
SOCIAL INVESTMENT FORUM: CLEAN ENERGY/GREEN TECHNOLOGY FOCUS GROWING IN
MUTUAL FUNDS, OTHER INVESTMENTS
Social Investment Forum Survey Finds 100 Percent of Respondents Report
Growing Demand; 10 or More New Clean Energy/Green Technology Mutual
Funds/Other Investments Expected
WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 16, 2008 - Mutual fund families and financial
professionals offering clean energy and green technology investment
vehicles to investors are seeing strong demand for such offerings and plan
to make available several new related investment vehicles by the end of
2009, according to a new survey of the 500-member Social Investment Forum
(SIF), the U.S. membership association for socially and environmentally
responsible investment professionals and institutions.
In detailed findings from a cross-section of 14 SIF members, the
survey
found:
* 100 percent of the respondents reported clean energy/tech investing
demand is up among clients.
* 72 percent either responded yes (36 percent) or possibly (36
percent)
when asked if they have plans to introduce new clean energy/tech
investing
opportunities before the end of 2009. (Based on the responses, this
would
result in a total of 10 or more possible new clean energy/green tech
investment vehicles, including several mutual funds, ETFs and indexes.)
Only
four of the respondents indicated that they have no such plans.
* 17 mutual funds or other investment opportunities offered by the
respondents now focus exclusively on clean energy/tech investing. The
assets reported for these investment vehicles are in excess of a quarter
of
a billion dollars.
* Eight mutual funds or other investment opportunities focused
exclusively
or partially on clean energy/tech were identified as having been
launched
since January 1, 2007.
The group of core survey respondents were (in alphabetical order):
Calvert,
Eric Smith and Associates, First Affirmative Financial Network, 1st
Portfolio, Green Century Capital Management, Troy Hunter (Walnut
Street),
KLD Research & Analytics, Krull & Company, MMA Praxis Mutual Funds, Pax
World, Progressive Asset Management, SJF Ventures, Trillium Asset
Management, and Winslow Management Co.
As energy prices continue to fluctuate and the need to address climate
change becomes ever more urgent, many investors want to blaze a trail
for
clean energy solutions that meet demand and respond to the impacts of
climate change,said Lisa Woll, chief executive officer of the
Washington,
D.C.-based SIF. Our new survey confirms that Social Investment Forum
members are at the forefront of green technology and clean energy
investing, which is rapidly becoming a major element of the mainstream
American investment marketplace.
Jack Robinson, president of Winslow Management Company in Boston, MA,
and
portfolio manager of the Winslow Green Growth Fund, said: Winslow has
been
involved in green investing for over 25 years, and the level of interest
in
our investment offerings has never been higher. Investors now recognize
the
growth opportunities that are available to companies that tackle climate
change and develop clean sources of energy. The recent passage of
sweeping
federal tax incentives in support of clean energy will only serve to
accelerate the already exciting growth within this sector.
Bennett Freeman, senior vice president for social research and policy,
Calvert mutual funds, Bethesda, MD., said: We at Calvert believe that
clean tech investment strategies are essential to address global
sustainability challenges. That is why in the last year we have
introduced
two new funds: the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund, and the
Calvert
Global Water Fund to do just that.
Adam Seitchik, lead portfolio manager, Green Century Balanced Fund, and
chief investment officer, Trillium Asset Management, Boston, MA., said:
"Clean energy stocks have been crushed this year despite the fact that
revenues and profits are growing rapidly. However, we believe that
despite
the increased risks associated with the credit crisis, the fundamentals
of
these firms are so strong that they will find necessary financing to
continue rapid growth. Among solar stocks we follow, revenues are
likely to
rise between 60 and 140 percent this year and between 45 and 200 percent
next year, and most of the companies are now solidly profitable.
Plunging
stock prices have improved their valuations dramatically to between 10
and
20 times earnings. These are extraordinarily attractive valuations for
fast-growing companies even if the earnings estimates come down due to
slowing economies and the credit crisis."
Other key Social Investment Forum findings include:
* The percentage of investments managed by the respondents that are in
vehicles that contain a mix of clean energy/tech and other screened
investments ranges from 20 percent to 100 percent.
* The percentage of investments (that) are in vehicles focused
exclusively
on clean energy/tech runs from a low of 2 percent to a high of 25
percent.
* Nearly two out of three respondents (64 percent) said that it is �very
important to them that clean energy/tech investment options be
combined
with shareholder advocacy and activism work to help move company policy
and
practice towards better practices.
ABOUT THE ONLINE SURVEY
The online survey consisted of 14 questions and was conducted during
September-October 2008 among the members of the Social Investment
Forum. Of
more than two dozen unduplicated responses, 14 were found to be complete
on
all major questions and used as the basis of this survey. The SIF
survey is
a membership poll and is not being put forward as a scientific survey
that
can be projected to include non-respondents.
ABOUT THE SOCIAL INVESTMENT FORUM
The Social Investment Forum (http://www.socialinvest.org)
is the national
membership association for the social investment industry. It is
dedicated
to the concept, practice, and growth of socially responsible investing.
SIF's 500-plus members include financial planners, banks, mutual fund
companies, research companies, foundations, and community investing
institutions.
CONTACT: Patrick Mitchell, (703) 276-3266 or
pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com.
EDITOR�S NOTE: A streaming audio recording of the October 16, 2008 news
event will be available on the Web by 6 p.m. EDT on October 16, 2008 at
http://www.socialinvest.org.
InvestorIdeas.com Disclaimer: Issuers of press releases are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Would you like to see your news and articles here? GO>>;;
|
