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Does Sustainability Score Impact Mutual Fund Performance?

Author

Listed:
  • Pablo Durán-Santomil

    (Departamento de Organización de Empresas y Comercialización, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain)

  • Luis Otero-González

    (Departamento de Economía Financiera y Contabilidad, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

  • Renato Heitor Correia-Domingues

    (Departamento de Economia, Finanças e Contabilidade, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal)

  • Juan Carlos Reboredo

    (Departamento de Fundamentos del Análisis Económico, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

Abstract

Given that sustainable investing constitutes a major force across global financial markets, in 2016 Morningstar began reporting Morningstar Sustainability scores. We used the 2016, 2017 and 2018 scores to study the effects of socially responsible investments (SRI) on European equity fund performance. Sustainability scores impacted positively on performance, which was consistent with the idea that the mutual funds invested in companies with better scores generate better risk-adjusted and not-risk adjusted performance. We also tested the relation on mutual fund flows and risk. The sustainability score in the previous year is significant on the flows, so higher-rated funds receive a larger volume of funds. In terms of risk, the level of sustainability is negatively related to the value at risk (VaR) of the fund, supporting that higher scored mutual funds offer better protection against extreme losses.

Suggested Citation

  • Pablo Durán-Santomil & Luis Otero-González & Renato Heitor Correia-Domingues & Juan Carlos Reboredo, 2019. "Does Sustainability Score Impact Mutual Fund Performance?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:10:p:2972-:d:234108
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    4. Gardenier, Julius & Lac, Visieu & Ashfaq, Muhammad, 2021. "Risk-adjusted return in sustainable finance: A comparative analysis of European positively screened and best-in-class ESG investment portfolios and the Euro Stoxx 50 index using the Sharpe Ratio," IU Discussion Papers - Business & Management 7/2021, IU International University of Applied Sciences.
    5. Daniel N. F. Plattek & Otávio H. S. Figueiredo, 2023. "Sustainable and Governance Investment Funds in Brazil: A Performance Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, May.
    6. Fernando Muñoz & María Vargas & Ruth Vicente, 2021. "Style-changing behaviour in the socially responsible mutual fund industry: consequences on financial and sustainable performance," Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(5), pages 1027-1051, February.
    7. Reboredo, Juan C. & Otero, Luis A., 2021. "Are investors aware of climate-related transition risks? Evidence from mutual fund flows," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    8. Nicolás Magner & Jaime F. Lavín & Mauricio A. Valle, 2022. "Modeling Synchronization Risk among Sustainable Exchange Trade Funds: A Statistical and Network Analysis Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(19), pages 1-30, October.
    9. Pablo Solórzano-Taborga & Ana Belén Alonso-Conde & Javier Rojo-Suárez, 2020. "Data Envelopment Analysis and Multifactor Asset Pricing Models," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-18, April.
    10. Beatrice Boumda & Darren Duxbury & Cristina Ortiz & Luis Vicente, 2021. "Do Socially Responsible Investment Funds Sell Losses and Ride Gains? The Disposition Effect in SRI Funds," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-14, July.
    11. Guido Abate & Ignazio Basile & Pierpaolo Ferrari, 2021. "The level of sustainability and mutual fund performance in Europe: An empirical analysis using ESG ratings," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(5), pages 1446-1455, September.
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