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Ethical investments and financial performance: An international evidence

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  • Azmi, Wajahat
  • Mohamad, Shamsher
  • Shah, Mohamed Eskandar

Abstract

This paper examines the financial performance of ethical funds in different regions and concludes that there is a cost attached to ethical investing. An analysis of 964 mutual funds comprising of Socially responsible funds (SRFs) and the Shariah-compliant equity funds (SCFs) suggests that: a) except for global funds, both types of funds underperform in the market, b) both types of funds are preferred for investment in growth and momentum stocks, c) SRFs are preferred for small capitalized stocks whereas SCFs do not follow any specific style or investment strategy, d) unlike SRFs, SCFs do not provide a safe haven for investors during crises. These findings are probably due to the lack of diversification opportunities and poor managerial skills. The results are robust to various asset pricing models and macroeconomic factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Azmi, Wajahat & Mohamad, Shamsher & Shah, Mohamed Eskandar, 2020. "Ethical investments and financial performance: An international evidence," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pacfin:v:62:y:2020:i:c:s0927538x1730570x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2019.05.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Jitmaneeroj, Boonlert, 2023. "Time-varying fund manager skills of socially responsible investing (SRI) funds in developed and emerging markets," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Fadillah Mansor & M. Ishaq Bhatti & Shafiqur Rahman & Hung Quang Do, 2020. "The Investment Performance of Ethical Equity Funds in Malaysia," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-14, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ethical funds; Performance evaluation; Macroeconomic factors; Shariah compliant funds; Socially responsible funds; Managerial skills;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion

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