BlackRock is moving forward in fulfilling Larry Fink’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis with a slate of ETFs.
The asset manager launched several ETFs that track companies using ESG criteria on Thursday. Among the changes BlackRock’s chief outlined in his January letter was making sustainability integral to portfolio construction and risk management.
“One thing that has emerged as a result of the virus and the lockdown is a renewed appreciation for the environment broadly speaking,” said Emily Roland, co-chief investment strategist at John Hancock Investment Management.
-
In the first-quarter’s coronavirus-driven market decline, 94% of sustainable indexes outperformed, BlackRock research shows.
May 20 -
The firm said that 88% of sustainable indexes did better than their non-sustainable counterparts in the first four months of 2020.
May 18 -
Fallout from the deepest worldwide downturn since the Great Depression has magnified economic and social inequality across the globe.
April 28
The new suite of BlackRock funds includes: the iShares ESG Aware Conservative Allocation ETF (EAOK); the iShares ESG Aware Moderate Allocation ETF (EAOM); the iShares ESG Aware Growth Allocation ETF (EAOR); and the iShares ESG Aware Aggressive Allocation ETF (EAOA). Each has a 0.18% expense ratio.
BlackRock has also filed for four ESG funds that provide exposure to companies with higher scores in that category while also screening for controversial activities such as fossil fuels, palm oil, for-profit prisons and weapons. Two of them — the iShares ESG Advanced MSCI USA ETF (USXF) and the iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EAFE ETF (DMXF) — launched on Thursday as well.
“This strong demand across our global wealth and institutional clients is driving more innovation in index and product development and portfolio solutions,” the firm said in a statement.
The decade’s top performers also outpaced broader markets over the short term.
After taking in a record $4 billion in April, ETFs focused on ESG have seen $52 million in outflows so far this month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Three BlackRock products — ESGU, ESGE, ESGD — have lured $8.5 billion out of the total $13.1 billion inflows for the category this year.
