Investment in hazardous solid waste reduction and financial performance of selected companies listed in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Socially Responsible Investment Index

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bamidele Fakoya
Author(s):  
Elda Du Toit ◽  
Karabo Lekoloane

Background: Stakeholders are increasingly concerned whether the companies they are involved with act in a socially responsible way. However, stakeholders like employees and shareholders also have a direct financial interest in those companies and need to be assured that company actions bring forth some financial benefit.Aim: The research investigated one of the main questions surrounding the concept of corporate socially responsibility, namely whether a company’s investment in and effort towards corporate social responsibility results in improved financial performance. The purpose of this study was to narrow the gap in the body of knowledge in relation to corporate social responsibility and its relationship to financial performance.Setting: This research investigated whether there was a relationship between being listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index and financial performance. The unit of study comprises 885 company-years of companies listed on the JSE over the period 2009–2014.Methods: Logistic regression was used to find evidence of a relationship between a listing on the JSE SRI Index and financial performance.Results: It is evident that there was no real relationship between inclusion on the JSE SRI Index and financial performance, but there was a direct relationship between the size of a company and having a listing on the JSE SRI Index.Conclusion: A listing on the JSE SRI Index does not have a clear and direct impact on financial performance, but it appeared that larger companies are perhaps better able to invest in corporate social activities and are, as a result, more likely to be listed on the JSE SRI Index.


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Revelli ◽  
Jean-Laurent Viviani

Over the last twenty years, the debate on financial performance of socially responsible investment (SRI) has not yielded a clear consensus, arguing mainly that there was no difference in performance between SRI and ‘conventional’ investment, although SRI could underperform or outperform in some cases. Our research, based on a meta-analysis ‘vote-counting’ approach of the empirical literature, allows us to observe that the effects of SRI on financial performance are multiple. Second, we conclude that the financial performance of SRI is radically changing according to the empirical methods employed by researchers.


2021 ◽  
pp. 138826272110269
Author(s):  
Lauren Daniels ◽  
Yves Stevens ◽  
David Pratt

Worldwide pension funds, in their capacity as large institutional investors, are under increasing pressure to take social and environmental considerations into account in their investment decision-making process. The concepts Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) and Environmental Social Governance (ESG) are indeed ubiquitous in the current investment and pension community. This article aims to provide some insight into the conceptual relationship between SRI and ESG and its legal implications for the investment behaviour of private pension funds in the USA and the EU. Hence, the first part of the article gives some background to the distinct concepts of SRI and ESG. This leads to the finding that SRI goes one step further than ESG by prioritising moral or ethical considerations that may not be material to an investment’s financial performance, whereas ESG functions as a guideline to enhance financial performance. The second part analyses the legal possibilities and constraints for responsible investment in American occupational pensions and the third part does the same for European occupational pensions. The article concludes with a summary and comparative overview of the American and European lessons.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafezali Iqbal Hussain ◽  
Janusz Grabara ◽  
Mohd Shahril Ahmad Razimi ◽  
Saeed Pahlevan Sharif

This study looks at how firms react to shocks in equity prices based on a classification which arises from social pressures rather than the financial objective of maximizing shareholders’ wealth. In order to meet the objective of the study, a sample of Malaysian firms from the period of 2003 to 2018 was utilized to evaluate the relationship between market and book debt ratios based on a social distinction. The study is based on the theoretical expectation that managers are inclined to adjust book debt ratios to converge with market debt values which arise from changes in equity values over time. We introduce a unique institutional setting into the relationship which is readily observable in the Malaysian capital market given the existence of Shari’ah and non-Shari’ah compliant company classifications on the stock exchange (Bursa Malaysia), as screened by the Securities Commission. The classification forms the basis for distinguishing Socially Responsible Investment options for investors. The findings reveal the existence of asymmetries in how both categories of firms adjust towards shocks in equity prices. The findings document that both compliant and non-compliant firms decrease book debt ratios in line with increases in firms’ equity values. Compliant firms, on the other hand, are more likely to increase book debt ratios during periods of decreases in equity values. Non-compliant firms do not significantly alter book debt ratios during periods of declining equity prices. The findings indicate that whilst firms tend to decrease debt levels in the presence of future growth potential, the response is asymmetric during periods of suppression of share prices. Thus, the screening of compliant versus non-compliant firms allows investors to distinguish sustainable firms in the long run, which further allows diversification when holding socially responsible investment portfolios. Our conclusions have wide reaching implications on a global scale for the development of sustainable capital markets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-240
Author(s):  
Anna Vorontsova ◽  
Alex Plastun ◽  
Hanna Filatova ◽  
Elena Kostenko ◽  
Eldar Dzhobava

Purpose: To substantiate the place and role of the responsible investment in the structure of the stock exchange market. Methods: Structure-functional in order to form an idea of the structure of the stock exchange market, determining the place and role of responsible investment elements in the stock market organization; systematic analysis to identify current trends and patterns in the functioning of the socially responsible investment segment by geographical regions of the world; statistical and graphical methods for quantitative and visual presentation of the results of the stock market sectors analysis, represented by responsible investment elements. Findings: The definition of «responsible investment» and «stock market» has been clarified; a number of subjects, objects and forms of responsible investment, which are elements of the stock market, are singled out and substantiated; the generalization of activities of stock exchanges in the field of responsible investing is carried out; the dynamics of stock market sector indicators, which are represented by elements of responsible investment, are analyzed; key reporting standards used by stock exchanges in disclosing ESG issues are analyzed. Theoretical Implications: A comprehensive assessment of the functioning of socially responsible investment segment as part of the stock market is carried out, the place and role of responsible investing in the stock market structure are substantiated, which creates a basis for the development of effective measures to increase the stock market efficiency of Ukraine and its transformation into an effective and stable source of investment resources. Future Research: The results can be used in the context of further study of the stock market transformation in Ukraine on the basis of a socially responsible trajectory and fractal analysis. Paper Type: Theoretical.   The study was performed within the state budget research «Fractal model of the stock market transformation in Ukraine: socially responsible investment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals» № 0121U100473.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo Badía ◽  
Vicente Pina ◽  
Lourdes Torres

We evaluated the financial performance of government bond portfolios formed according to socially responsible investment (SRI) criteria. We thus open a discussion on the financial performance of SRI for government bonds. Our sample includes 24 countries over the period of June 2006 to December 2017. Using various financial performance measures, the results suggest that high-rated government bonds, according to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions, outperform low-ranked bonds under any cut-off, although differences are not statistically significant. These findings suggest that ESG screenings can be used for government bonds without sacrificing financial performance.


Author(s):  
Obey Dzomonda ◽  
Olawale Fatoki

The importance of heeding the environmental sustainability commitment call cannot be underestimated. Laggards in terms of environmental sustainability commitment are likely to face fines and penalties as talks to tighten environmental legislation are now at an advanced stage globally. The current work assessed the link between environmental sustainability commitment and financial performance of firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The study was quantitative in nature with a case study research design. The longitudinal design was adopted where the researcher collected panel data from 2011–2018. The population of the study included all firms listed on the JSE Responsible Investment Index in South Africa. The sample constituted of 32 firms listed on the Financial Times Stock Exchange FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index in South Africa. The researchers employed the panel regression analysis model to analyze the data. Specifically, the Feasible Generalized Least Squares regression model was used in this study. Financial performance was treated as the dependent variable as measured by earnings per share and share price. The independent variables of the study included components of environmental sustainability such as carbon emission reduction and environmental compliance. Control variables such as firm size and liquidity were used in the study. The findings indicated that carbon emission reduction was positively and significantly related to earnings per share and share price. The findings further exhibited that environmental compliance was positively related to earnings per share and share price. It was concluded that firms can enhance their financial performance from environmental investment as all the hypotheses were supported. This study contributes practically towards shaping environmental policies and it also serves as motivation to listed companies that they can enhance both their profitability and market value from environmental investments.


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