The Future of Cool
Forwarded this email by a friend? Subscribe here.
Happy Thursday, and welcome to our new subscribers!
We’re now midway through July and the markets still haven’t gotten the message that it’s beach season. Wobbling stocks and falling bond yields have us thinking this should be the summer of the roller coaster instead of the hammock. And yesterday’s news that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 9.1% in June didn’t do much to settle nerves (and we’re thinking the “Very Bad” headline that Bloomberg ran did not calm Wall Street’s Wednesday anxiety).
Our advice? Keep calm (and carry on). Historical data shows that trying to time sales or purchases based on short-term information is extremely difficult, and a long-term view has a way of working out (and reducing anxiety!).
So, while everyone else is reading the daily headlines and imagining the future of the financial world looking like the remnants of an exploded star they just learned about while looking at the initial images beamed back from the James Webb Telescope, do your own research and seek returns that meet your comfort level while also aligning with your values.
How do you do that? Everyone is on their own path, and each of us has different priorities when investing, but we recommend you start with the advice that was at the core of a 2021 (yet still largely relevant) MarketWatch piece from our very own FWIW founder Jean Case.
- Start by defining what matters most to you. Many investors start with what is termed “screening” to ensure they both include (positive screening) and exclude (negative screening) certain types of investments, so that their full portfolio more closely aligns with their values.
- Pick a trading platform or advisor where you can focus your efforts. A respected trading platform offering sustainable investing options, or a professional advisor, can help you build the confidence and security of knowing investing professionals are monitoring both the performance and risks of the investments you make.
- Follow the data. It's vital to look for transparency in intention, measurement, and reporting in the areas you care about to determine if a company or fund is authentic in its impact claims and promises.
Then, check out some of our favorite FWIW resources:
- Largest ESG or Sustainable Funds
- How to Research ESG Stocks and Funds
- How to Practice Faith-Based Investing
- Investing in Women: A Guide To Gender Lens Investing
Whether you are looking for opportunities to buy during these turbulent times, or holding until the dust settles, keeping your eye on sectors and companies that are well-positioned for the future is always key to investing with a longer-term horizon in mind. In that spirit (and inspired by the record-high temps you may be seeing on your weather app), we dive into how to invest in green cooling solutions a bit farther down in this issue.
News you can use
- 54 companies in the S&P 500 index have revealed all their indirect emissions (Scope 3) to investors this year, triple the number in 2021, says Bloomberg Law. This comes as the SEC prepares to pass a rule to mandate climate change-related disclosures. About 4 in 5 frequent investors surveyed recently said it’s difficult to assess whether companies are actually operating in ways that are as environmentally friendly as they claim. Help is on its way.
- Birth control may get a lot more accessible if the FDA approves an application from French company HRA Pharma — which was recently acquired by Perrigo Company plc (PRGO). HRA is seeking approval to sell its birth control pill over-the-counter in the US, making it as easy to buy as cough syrup. With the recent rulings from the Supreme Court, we’ve seen a lot of interest from investors in “femtech,” and expect more startups in the reproductive health space to get attention from investors.
