Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

I am an ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) analyst with an alpha-centric approach to ESG research. After all, ESG investing is, first and foremost, investing. "Alpha-centric" does not mean apathetic, however. Quite the contrary. I believe global sustainability – i.e., environmental stewardship, social equality, and economic prosperity – is imperative, and private-sector capital is its cornerstone. Private-sector capital still has fiduciary responsibilities. Profitability is necessary for sustained impact. The Triple Bottom Line. People, Planet, AND Profit.

More importantly, you. I value your investment in Smartkarma research, and commit to Insights worthy of your time and money. That means giving ASEAN ESG the attention it deserves, and with Insights that are substantive and differentiated; the intersection of material and under-covered. You can expect investigative research into emergent ESG issues; data-driven analyses of deals (pre-IPO ESG research, ESG-focused M&A consequence analyses, etc.); and trading-oriented ideas like ESG short selling and playing ESG index constituency changes.

I bring both ESG expertise and traditional investing experience, as well as some rather unique perspectives on ESG (a lesson in governance from Enron, anyone?). I spent the last decade exclusively on ESG, researching links to equity returns, credit ratings, cost of capital, and yield spreads. I also contributed to ESG reporting standards (SASB and GRI), and the MBA curriculum (Impact Investing) at the Kellogg School of Management. Previously, I was an Institutional Investor and Wall Street Journal All-Star sell-side analyst at J.P. Morgan.

Please, feel free to contact me about anything.

U.S. Elections: A Biden Win Is Looking More Likely

U.S. Elections: A Biden Win Would Be a Win for ESG Investing and Sustainable Finance

U.S. Elections: A Biden Win Would Mean a New U.S. Treasury Secretary (Elizabeth Warren Might Be It)

U.S. Presidential Debates: Biden and Trump Butt Heads Over the Environment

Google Antitrust Lawsuit: The 2020 Election Angle

Battle Lines Drawn As BABA Builds Out First/Last-Mile Capacity; But Who Will Fund 75+ Bn CNY CapEx?

The final U.S. Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden starts soon. Somehow, this debate manages to be highly-important, and largely irrelevant, all at the same time.For Trump, the debate couldn't be more important. Election Day is near and Biden's lead is well just beyond "polling error" at this point. This is Trump's best (and likely last) chance to alter fate but he must do the impossible – i.e., not be the center of attention for the better part of 90 minutes.Strategically, Trump's best bet is to "shut up, man" (a quote from the first debate) and give Biden an opportunity to talk himself into a gaffe or generally come across as that feeble-minded old man of Trump rhetoric. Biden doesn't need to "win" per se, he just needs to "not lose."Barring an epic train wreck, however, the debate will have little impact on the election.Ironically, coronavirus – a debate topic and Trump's Achilles heel – led to unprecedented absentee voting. Nearly 48 million votes are already cast, and cannot be changed. Few remaining voters are undecided. There simply aren't enough swayable voters left for Trump to sway.Still, there is that chance of seeing a good train wreck. And, the debate could matter in other ways; equally as important but with a lower threshold to relevance. Notably, a poor Trump showing could reshape Senate races, increasing the chances of Democrat sweep of Congress. The Blue Wave.This Insight is a prelude to the debate (and any potential post-debate analysis).

The final U.S. Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden starts soon. Somehow, this debate manages to be highly-important, and largely irrelevant, all at the same time.For Trump, the debate couldn't be more important. Election Day is near and Biden's lead is well just beyond "polling error" at this point. This is Trump's best (and likely last) chance to alter fate but he must do the impossible – i.e., not be the center of attention for the better part of 90 minutes.Strategically, Trump's best bet is to "shut up, man" (a quote from the first debate) and give Biden an opportunity to talk himself into a gaffe or generally come across as that feeble-minded old man of Trump rhetoric. Biden doesn't need to "win" per se, he just needs to "not lose."Barring an epic train wreck, however, the debate will have little impact on the election.Ironically, coronavirus – a debate topic and Trump's Achilles heel – led to unprecedented absentee voting. Nearly 48 million votes are already cast, and cannot be changed. Few remaining voters are undecided. There simply aren't enough swayable voters left for Trump to sway.Still, there is that chance of seeing a good train wreck. And, the debate could matter in other ways; equally as important but with a lower threshold to relevance. Notably, a poor Trump showing could reshape Senate races, increasing the chances of Democrat sweep of Congress. The Blue Wave.This Insight is a prelude to the debate (and any potential post-debate analysis).

Final U.S. Presidential Debate: Trump Needs an Epic Biden Blunder for This to Matter

Alphabet

Final U.S. Presidential Debate: Trump Needs an Epic Biden Blunder for This to Matter