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.

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

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

"Delisting Deceitful Chinese Companies Act" Not a Slam Dunk and Has More Bark Than Bite if It Passes

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

After a year-long investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-monopolist-google-violating-antitrust-laws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it filed a civil <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1328941/download" target="_blank" rel="noopener">antitrust lawsuit</a> against Google; owned by, and nearly synonymous with, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alphabet-inc-cl-c" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11369:1" rel="noopener">Alphabet (GOOG US)</a>.Not exactly a surprise since Google and its FAANG brethren have been in the crosshairs for a while. Still, the formality hits hard. Like getting dumped; you know it's coming, but the words still sting.DOJ's case is already quoted ad nauseam in the media, so I will regurgitate just a few small bits for context, then delve into my particular "angle" on this – i.e., how the U.S. Elections factor in.In Facebook parlance, "It's Complicated," but here is the gist:<ul>
<li>Antitrust cases of this magnitude and complexity can be drawn out over many, many years.</li>
<li>Long-term, big-picture? Bad. Even just the overhang. Bad for Google, foreboding for others.</li>
<li>If you zoom in to a smaller near-term window, however… it's still bad. But maybe, a bit less.</li>
<li>The 2020 U.S. Elections could change the antitrust mood and direction, even if Trump wins.</li>
<li>Google will still have issues (there is bi-partisan thirst for its blood, just on different terms).</li>
<li>Still, post-elections, this likely goes from "bad and chaotic" to "bad, but somewhat orderly."</li>
</ul>This is a quick take on what is still today's news, but the overall thought process is similar to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/delisting-deceitful-chinese-companies-act-not-a-slam-dunk-and-has-more-bark-than-bite-if-it-passes" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:40025" rel="noopener">"Delisting Deceitful Chinese Companies Act" Not a Slam Dunk and Has More Bark Than Bite if It Passes</a>.

After a year-long investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Google; owned by, and nearly synonymous with, Alphabet (GOOG US).Not exactly a surprise since Google and its FAANG brethren have been in the crosshairs for a while. Still, the formality hits hard. Like getting dumped; you know it's coming, but the words still sting.DOJ's case is already quoted ad nauseam in the media, so I will regurgitate just a few small bits for context, then delve into my particular "angle" on this – i.e., how the U.S. Elections factor in.In Facebook parlance, "It's Complicated," but here is the gist:
Antitrust cases of this magnitude and complexity can be drawn out over many, many years.
Long-term, big-picture? Bad. Even just the overhang. Bad for Google, foreboding for others.
If you zoom in to a smaller near-term window, however… it's still bad. But maybe, a bit less.
The 2020 U.S. Elections could change the antitrust mood and direction, even if Trump wins.
Google will still have issues (there is bi-partisan thirst for its blood, just on different terms).
Still, post-elections, this likely goes from "bad and chaotic" to "bad, but somewhat orderly."
This is a quick take on what is still today's news, but the overall thought process is similar to "Delisting Deceitful Chinese Companies Act" Not a Slam Dunk and Has More Bark Than Bite if It Passes.

Google Antitrust Lawsuit: The 2020 Election Angle