The Fund That Isn’t Following the ESG/SRI Herd

Subscribe to this podcast on:  

 

 

About the Episode

In the U.S., between one quarter and one third of all assets are managed with an ESG/SRI mandate. Outside the U.S., that percentage is even higher. So I am going to explore what must be an unpopular topic – investing in so-called “sin” stocks. I am talking with the co-managers of the Vitium Global Fund – formerly the Vice Fund. That fund buys what most ESG/SRI investors scorn: stocks in the tobacco, alcoholic beverage, gaming and aerospace/defense industries.

About our Guests

Charles Norton and Jeff Helfrich were recently named to manage the Vitium fund. They bring nearly 40 years of combined investment management experience to the fund. Charles previously served as portfolio manager of the fund from 2005-2010. In addition to their duties as Vitium co-managers, Charles and Jeff also serve as a portfolio managers at Penn Davis McFarland.

Show Notes

Here is a link to the Vitium Global Fund web site. Here is the article on nuclear energy mentioned in the podcast, Why Are ESG Funds Fighting Against Climate Change Solutions? Here is a recent article about ESG/SRI performance, The Disappointing Reality about ESG Fund Performance.