Leveraging analytics from IW Financial, new tool identifies companies with environmental, social and governance profiles that present potential risks for investors
SAN FRANCISCO (September 13, 2007) — Glass Lewis & Co., LLC, a leading independent research and proxy advisory firm, today announced the launch of the ESG Watch List Service, a tool that enables Glass Lewis’ proxy voting clients to track companies with environmental, social, or governance (ESG) policies and/or practices that may create operational, performance, financial, legal, accounting or reputational risks. The service incorporates ratings from IW Financial, a leading provider of research, analytics and consulting services that enable investors to incorporate ESG factors into the investment process.
ESG Watch List Service notifies users when the practices or the ESG performance of a company within their portfolio approaches a level that may be of concern based on evaluation criteria established for the list by the client. Glass Lewis ViewPoint clients can set up one or more pre-set profiles or can elect to create custom profiles for rating the 3,000 U.S. companies in the Glass Lewis-IW Financial universe. Each watch list profile represents a set of evaluative criteria designed to capture a particular perspective or set of concerns.
“This new service will allow our clients to identify at a glance those companies in a portfolio with a pending meeting that might pose above-normal ESG risk,” said Katherine Rabin, Chief Executive Officer of Glass Lewis. “With an increased investor focus on proxy voting, it’s clear that many fiduciaries will want to be informed of such risks, which can have an impact on their ultimate vote decision.”
The companies within the universe covered by the ESG Watch List Service are rated weekly by IW Financial’s patented ratings engine to identify those that are relative poor performers for each profile type. ESG Watch List clients receive alerts on ViewPoint or via email when a watch list company issues a ballot. Subscribers can also search Glass Lewis’ comprehensive meeting database and their Ballot Inbox by watch list. Available profiles include Governance, Sustainability, SRI, and Environmental.
“We are very pleased to be teaming with Glass Lewis to provide institutions with access to our research and analytics,” said Sam Pierce, chief executive officer at IW Financial. “ESG matters are no longer simply a matter of values; they can have an impact on the bottom line. As such, fiduciaries need to have ready access to insights on information on corporate behaviors that can effect their investments. The ESG Watch List Service provides this in an easy-to-use way.”
About Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC
Glass, Lewis & Co. is a leading investment research and global proxy advisory and voting services firm, serving institutions that collectively manage more than $15 trillion. Glass Lewis helps institutional investors make more informed investment and proxy voting decisions by identifying business, legal, governance and financial statement risk at more than 14,000 companies worldwide. Founded in 2003, Glass Lewis is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Sydney and Denver.
For more information on Glass Lewis & Co. contact:
Bayley Diamond, +1 415 738 4115, bdiamond@glasslewis.com
www.glasslewis.com.
About IW Financial
IW Financial is a leading provider of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research, consulting and portfolio management solutions for asset management firms, managed accounts sponsors, institutional investors, plan sponsors, and investment advisors. With its unique combination of investment industry expertise, unbiased research, and technology solutions, IW Financial helps industry professionals capitalize on growing investor demand by incorporating ESG factors into investment platforms, products, and portfolios, adding value to the money management process while strengthening client relationships.
For more information on IW Financial visit: www.iwfinancial.com.
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