ESG factors and risk-adjusted performance: a new quantitative model

NC Ashwin Kumar, C Smith, L Badis…�- Journal of sustainable�…, 2016 - Taylor & Francis
NC Ashwin Kumar, C Smith, L Badis, N Wang, P Ambrosy, R Tavares
Journal of sustainable finance & investment, 2016Taylor & Francis
Conventional finance wisdom indicates that less risk leads to lower returns. Against this
belief, new mathematical analysis, introduced in this article, demonstrates that companies
that incorporate Environmental, Social and Fair Governance (ESG) factors show lower
volatility in their stock performances than their peers in the same industry, that each industry
is affected differently by ESG factors, and that ESG companies generate higher returns. The
study assessed, for a period of 2 years, 157 companies listed on the Dow Jones�…
Abstract
Conventional finance wisdom indicates that less risk leads to lower returns. Against this belief, new mathematical analysis, introduced in this article, demonstrates that companies that incorporate Environmental, Social and Fair Governance (ESG) factors show lower volatility in their stock performances than their peers in the same industry, that each industry is affected differently by ESG factors, and that ESG companies generate higher returns. The study assessed, for a period of 2 years, 157 companies listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and 809 that are not.
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