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.

Asana and Twilio Are First Listings for ESG-Focused Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE)

SGX Nikkei ESG-REIT Index Futures Launch Is an Ideal Backdrop for an Important Topic: ESG and REITs

Recent mainstreaming of sustainability and ESG-minded investing has spawned a superabundance of "green" investment products. Today's carte of mainstay ESG products – namely exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds – is so saturated that most new products are just more of the same; perhaps with a minor new spin on an old ESG theme (low carbon, no carbon, efficient carbon).... solutions without problems in need of solving.Once in a while, something special comes along. Not just a new paint job on an old vehicle but an entirely new ESG asset class and product category. New tools for the ESG investor's toolbox. Such as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/singapore-exchange-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1047:1" rel="noopener">Singapore Exchange (SGX SP)</a> ESG futures, which enable ESG-tilted exposure in REITs via <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sgx-nikkei-esg-reit-index-futures" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33480:1" rel="noopener">SGX Nikkei ESG-REIT Index Futures (JRTA INDEX)</a>, and other ESG-related hedging and arbitrage.... solutions to real problems for "green" finance.One in a blue moon, something extraordinarily special comes along. Not just a new ESG asset class and product category, but a potential game-changer that disrupts and transforms sustainable/ESG investing and finance. In many ways, for many stakeholders. A remedy for the most universal and agonizing pain points for sustainable finance, and possibly the key to global sustainability.Nothing extraordinarily special has come along yet.Still too much uncertainty for grandiose adjectives.But last week's announcement from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Intrinsic Exchange Group (IEG) – regarding their new asset class called "Natural Asset Companies" (NACs) – portends that kind of blue-moon game-changer. NACs are still under development, with existential details still undetermined. But the potential impact of NACs is epic, for a rare trifecta of reasons:<ol>
<li>
Product/Market Fit: NACs make a lot of sense, and from what we know so far could be among the best (if not the best) product/market fits ever for new ESG asset class/product launches.</li>
<li>
Addressable Market: The potential market for NACs is huge due to the magnitude of natural capital, and broad relevance of NACs. It is a market potential measured in trillions of dollars.</li>
<li>
Perfect Partnership: NYSE/IEG is the partnership most likely to succeed at something such as  this; complementary skills sets, and with a well-developed product right out of the gate.</li>
</ol>

Recent mainstreaming of sustainability and ESG-minded investing has spawned a superabundance of "green" investment products. Today's carte of mainstay ESG products – namely exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds – is so saturated that most new products are just more of the same; perhaps with a minor new spin on an old ESG theme (low carbon, no carbon, efficient carbon).... solutions without problems in need of solving.Once in a while, something special comes along. Not just a new paint job on an old vehicle but an entirely new ESG asset class and product category. New tools for the ESG investor's toolbox. Such as Singapore Exchange (SGX SP) ESG futures, which enable ESG-tilted exposure in REITs via SGX Nikkei ESG-REIT Index Futures (JRTA INDEX), and other ESG-related hedging and arbitrage.... solutions to real problems for "green" finance.One in a blue moon, something extraordinarily special comes along. Not just a new ESG asset class and product category, but a potential game-changer that disrupts and transforms sustainable/ESG investing and finance. In many ways, for many stakeholders. A remedy for the most universal and agonizing pain points for sustainable finance, and possibly the key to global sustainability.Nothing extraordinarily special has come along yet.Still too much uncertainty for grandiose adjectives.But last week's announcement from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Intrinsic Exchange Group (IEG) – regarding their new asset class called "Natural Asset Companies" (NACs) – portends that kind of blue-moon game-changer. NACs are still under development, with existential details still undetermined. But the potential impact of NACs is epic, for a rare trifecta of reasons:

Product/Market Fit: NACs make a lot of sense, and from what we know so far could be among the best (if not the best) product/market fits ever for new ESG asset class/product launches.

Addressable Market: The potential market for NACs is huge due to the magnitude of natural capital, and broad relevance of NACs. It is a market potential measured in trillions of dollars.

Perfect Partnership: NYSE/IEG is the partnership most likely to succeed at something such as  this; complementary skills sets, and with a well-developed product right out of the gate.


SGX Nikkei ESG-REIT Index Futures (JRTA INDEX)

Natural Asset Companies (NACs): New ESG Asset Class Aims to Transform Sustainable Capital Markets

Intercontinental Exchange

Natural Asset Companies (NACs): New ESG Asset Class Aims to Transform Sustainable Capital Markets