Det kraftige opsving i oliepriserne har forvandlet børshandlede fonde, der sporer fossile brændstoffer, til nogle af de mest effektive i USA i år. Mærkeligt nok har rallyet i råolie været ret godt for fonde, der også har til formål at beskytte miljøet, ESG baseret fonde.
En finurlig måde, som mange ESG-indekser er opbygget på, betyder, at flere ESG-fonde har andele i store olieproducenter som Exxon Mobil Corp. og Chevron Corp.
Udover disse to energigiganter har den største ETF i denne kategori – iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) – Hess Corp. og Marathon Petroleum Corp. blandt sine aktier. SPDR S&P 500 ESG ETF (EFIV) og FlexShares STOXX Global ESG Impact Index Fund (ESGG) tæller også Exxon og Chevron som kapitalandele.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/big-oil-boosting-etf-returns-114120191.html
“This is probably one of the most ultimate ironies you could come up with,” said Eric Balchunas, ETF analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. “Some ESG ETFs are made to be very close to the benchmark — that way you don’t deviate too far away from the S&P, but you definitely dilute your ‘ESG-ness.’”
As previously stuck-at-home Americans ramp up gasoline usage and embark on plane trips, oil prices are finally recovering, with Exxon and Chevron each up more than 25% in 2021.
The rebound also has boosted funds such as the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP) and VanEck Vectors Oil Services ETF (OIH). They’re once again attracting investors, with OIH’s inflows already eclipsing its total 2020 intake, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. They have also outperformed the S&P 500 this year.
The reason oil companies are featured in ESG funds, alongside more traditionally green stocks like Tesla Inc. and Enphase Energy Inc., comes down to the index methodology. The MSCI Inc. gauge that ESGU tracks screens for firms involved in civilian firearms, controversial weapons, tobacco, thermal coal and oil sands. Exxon comprises nearly 0.6% of the fund, compared with SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY)’s almost 0.7% stake.
