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.

Life Insurance Corp of India IPO: Key Takeaways from the RHP

Life Insurance Corp of India (LIC) IPO: Lower Issue Size & Valuation; Index Inclusion Timeline

Life Insurance Corporation of India IPO - Regional Peer Comparison

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

<ul>
<li>Several months ago, I published two Insights addressing aspects of the impending IPO of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/life-insurance-corp-of-india-lic" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28829:1" rel="noopener">Life Insurance Corporation of India (1248Z IN)</a> from several specific ESG perspectives.</li>
<li>More specifically, they addressed: 1) LIC's pursuit of pre-IPO ESG ratings, and 2) the decidedly weak (almost non-existent) ESG messaging in the Draft Red Herring Prospectus.</li>
<li>I promised an update as the IPO drew closer. Unfortunately, no pre-IPO ESG ratings yet and the same generic pre-IPO message... but at this stage, none of that really matters.</li>
</ul>


Several months ago, I published two Insights addressing aspects of the impending IPO of Life Insurance Corporation of India (1248Z IN) from several specific ESG perspectives.
More specifically, they addressed: 1) LIC's pursuit of pre-IPO ESG ratings, and 2) the decidedly weak (almost non-existent) ESG messaging in the Draft Red Herring Prospectus.
I promised an update as the IPO drew closer. Unfortunately, no pre-IPO ESG ratings yet and the same generic pre-IPO message... but at this stage, none of that really matters.


Life Insurance Corporation of India: Update on LIC's Pre-IPO ESG Ratings and Message

Life Insurance of India

Life Insurance Corporation of India: Update on LIC's Pre-IPO ESG Ratings and Message