EFIV: A Strong ESG Alternative With Comparable Performance To The S&P 500

EFIV invests in S&P 500 stocks screened for ESG criteria, with a reasonable expense ratio of 0.10%, slightly higher than Vanguard ESG US Stock ETF. The ETF has outperformed the S&P 500 since its inception in 2020, driven by higher exposure to large-cap tech stocks like Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia. EFIV's future performance will likely be comparable to the S&P 500, though it may underperform in a lower rate environment favoring smaller-cap tech stocks.

Seeking Alpha • Dec 16, 2024

EFIV: A Core S&P 500 ESG Fund

ESG investing continues to grow despite challenges in defining ESG-friendly companies. The SPDR S&P 500 ESG ETF tracks S&P 500 ESG Index, filtering out non-ESG-friendly companies. The fund provides broad market exposure with ESG tilt, but accuracy of ESG definition and potential underperformance are concerns.

Seeking Alpha • Aug 1, 2024

EFIV: Why It Should Continue To Outperform The S&P 500

The EFIV ETF has produced superior returns to the S&P 500 with a lower standard deviation since its inception, and is recommended as a buy for long-term investors. The source of outperformance is a quality screen that the S&P performs for a nominal fee. This screen reviews and ranks corporations on the basis of their ESG practices. Academic studies show that ESG practices lead to superior financial performance for individual companies for metrics such as ROA, ROE, and the performance of their equity.

Seeking Alpha • May 23, 2024

Bull vs. Bear: ESG ETFs, the Post-Hype Sleeper?

Bull vs. Bear is a weekly feature where the VettaFi writers' room takes opposite sides to debate controversial stocks, strategies, or market ideas — with plenty of discussion of ETF ideas to play either angle. For this edition of Bull vs.

ETF Trends • Dec 6, 2023

ETF Homework Remains Despite SEC Efforts

I was doing final prep work for the VettaFi Equity Symposium last week (close to 500 live attendees and more will catch the replay). However, the regulators made asset management news with their focus on “truth in advertising.

ETF Trends • Sep 25, 2023

Good Fishing In The Dividend Stream

Once upon a time, dividends played a starring role in equity markets—until 14 years of easy money whetted investors' appetite for risk and created a massive tailwind for unprofitable, long-duration growth stocks. Valuations appear to be attractive: Stocks yielding north of 2.5% are trading near their largest discount to the equity market in recent memory.

Seeking Alpha • Feb 26, 2023

Oversold-Overbought Watch: S&P 500 Index - February 21, 2023

The S&P 500 Index has rebounded sharply off its previous low in October, closing up 14% on Feb. 17 since October's trough. The market could continue to rally, of course.

Seeking Alpha • Feb 21, 2023

With ESG Investing, Patience Can Make a Difference

Investors are often encouraged to take long-term views of financial markets and while securities don't move higher in a linear fashion and there will be bumps along the way, there is something to be said for maintaining a long-term perspective.

ETF Trends • Jan 31, 2023

Why EFIV Could Be a Long-Term Winner

Legacy environmental, social, and governance (ESG) exchange traded funds typically deploy exclusionary tactics, meaning that those funds don't feature allocations to “sin stocks” such as alcohol, cannabis, gambling, and tobacco. Nor do those products feature exposure to firearms makers and fossil fuels producers, among others.

ETF Trends • Jan 24, 2023

Deploying ESG to Find Opportunities, Limit Risk

Despite mounting criticism, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is an investing style with merits. In fact, as ESG ages and becomes a central part of core portfolios, more benefits are emerging.

ETF Trends • Jan 23, 2023