SustainableInvest on DWS ESG Fund
The website SustainableInvest.com, run by mutual fund industry veterans Henry Shilling and Steve Scheoke, writes about "ESG Liquidity Fund Targeted to Institutional Investors Offered by DWS." They explain, "DWS, formerly Deutsche Asset Management, made its sustainable investing debut in the US last month by repurposing the firm's existing $329.3 million DWS Variable NAV Money Market Fund. DWS launched an institutional money market fund that integrates environmental, social and governance considerations while at the same time employing exclusionary screens." The update adds, "While not the only sustainable money market fund offering available to investors in the US, this fund's strategy relies on ESG integration rather than emphasizing a values-based approach pursued by the GuideStone Money Market Fund. The fund is strictly geared to institutional investors, it invests in a broader range of money market instruments and is subject to a fluctuating versus a stable net asset value.... Only companies with an ESG rating above a minimum threshold determined by DWS are considered for investment by the fund. The proprietary ESG rating is derived from multiple factors: Level of involvement in controversial sectors and weapons; Adherence to corporate governance principles; ESG performance relative to a peer group of companies; and Efforts to meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals." (See also Crane Data's Sept. 7 News, "DWS ESG Liquidity Goes Live; Federated Explains Prime Private Fund," and our August 13 News, "DWS Converts Variable NAV to DWS ESG Money Fund, First ESG Offering.)
