”CHICAGO, March 1, 2016—To help investors evaluate funds based on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, today introduced the Morningstar Sustainability RatingTM for funds. The new rating will enable investors around the world to evaluate mutual funds and exchange-traded funds based on how well the companies held in their funds are managing their ESG risks and opportunities.
Morningstar is rolling out the ratings and related ESG metrics today for approximately 20,000 funds globally in Morningstar DirectSM, the company’s research platform for asset managers and wealth management professionals, and Morningstar OfficeSM, the company’s practice management system for independent financial advisors. In the coming weeks, Morningstar will launch the ratings on other platforms, including Morningstar® Advisor WorkstationSM, Morningstar.com®, and other websites around the world.
In support of Morningstar’s sustainable investing initiative, Steven Smit, CEO of Morningstar Benelux, has been named head of sustainability and will be responsible for leading the company’s initiative to bring the new ratings and metrics to investors globally. Jon Hale, Ph.D., CFA, former head of manager research for North America, has been named head of sustainability research………”
Read full article here: http://corporate.morningstar.com/us/asp/subject.aspx?xmlfile=174.xml&filter=PR5593
Source: Morningstar News