The Russian invasion of Ukraine sent risk assets plummeting in February as the conflict, the resulting sanctions and soaring inflation add more uncertainty to the global economic picture. The MSCI All Country World Index dropped -2.58% in February to bring YTD returns...
Global markets got off to a rough start in 2022 as the MSCI All-Country World Index fell -4.91% in January, its worst monthly performance since March 2020. The MSCI EAFE index dropped -4.86% and the S&P500 was down -5.26%, while the Russell 2000 Small Cap index...
Global equities gained 4.00% in December to finish up 18.54% for the year, their best annual gains since 2019 – notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic-induced global recession. The MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI), which comprises U.S., developed and emerging market...
Global Equities gained 2.50% to finish August at their all-time high and to bring YTD returns to 15.91%. In the US, the S&P 500 Index notched its 53rd record close in August, clinching its highest number of records in a calendar year. The US Large Cap stock...
Global Equities advanced 0.69% in July to bring YTD gains to 13.08%. US stocks comprise more than 58% of the MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index), and the S&P 500 climbed 2.27% in July to mark its sixth straight monthly gain –its longest win streak since 2018....
Global equities rose 1.36% in June to bring Q2 and YTD returns to 7.39% and 12.30% respectively. The U.S. comprises more than 58% of the MSCI ACWI All Country World Index ( ACWI), and the S&P 500 finished the first half of the year by notching its 33nd record...
Global Equities finished May 2021 at an all-time high, as the MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index) gained 1.56% this month to bring YTD returns to 10.84%. In the US, the rapidly expanding economy continued to gain steam, yet markets traded mixed in the wake of more...
Global Equities reached an all-time high on April 29th, and the MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index) finished April up 4.37% to bring YTD returns to 9.14% in 2021. The S&P 500 posted notched its fourth consecutive positive month and its best monthly return since...
A runup in interest rates cooled a rally in global stocks this month. The MSCI All-Country World Index (ACWI) hit an all-time high on February 16 and was up over 6.60% mid-month, only to finish February with a more modest 2.32% gain. Inflation worries heightened,...
Global equities started the New Year strong, but then faltered by month's end. As of January 21, the MSCI All-Country World Index was up 3.75% for the month and making new all-time highs -- but then sold off and finished the month down 0.45%. In the U.S., the S&P...
A chaotic 2020 came to a close with global equities climbing 4.64% in December. They ended the year up 16.25%, as the MSCI All-Country World Index (ACWI) finished at an all-time high. The three US bellwethers — the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq — also closed the...
Global equities just experienced a November to remember: The MSCI All-Country World Index (ACWI) jumped 12.33% to record its best month since the index launched back in 1969, as investors rode a wave of upbeat news about impending COVID-19 vaccines. Two U.S....
Mark Bateman is Aperio’s Head of Values-Aligned and ESG Research within BlackRock’s SMA Solutions unit. He is an internationally recognized ESG/SRI/Impact expert and works with Aperio’s clients to create customized values-alignment solutions.
Before joining Aperio, he served as the Director of Research at IW Financial (now part of ISS), a leading provider of value-added ESG research. Mark started his ESG career at the Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC, now part of MSCI) in Washington, DC, in a range of positions, including Director of the Environmental Information Service, and ultimately, Vice President of Research and Operations. He also served on the original steering committee of the Global Reporting Initiative, helping to develop a sustainability reporting framework for companies. Before joining the ESG industry, Mark worked as a legislative aide for Sen. Mark Hatfield (OR) in his DC office.
In addition, Mark is pursuing a PhD in Public Administration and Policy through Old Dominion University’s School of Public Service. Mark’s research is focused on corporations in the public policy process. Mark lives and works in Salem, Oregon.
Jamie Nulph, CFA, is a Senior Climate Specialist at MSCI. She works closely with the largest institutional investors in North America to understand, evaluate, and report on climate-related risks and opportunities. Jamie has 15 years of experience in Sustainable Investing. Prior to joining MSCI in 2014, she worked in London with a UK-based ESG research firm, supporting European Institutional Investors on ESG integration, mission-
aligned investing, and stewardship.
Jamie co-leads MSCI’s Women’s Leadership Forum and is a founder of Bay ESG, a group focused on building connections and facilitating knowledge sharing for sustainable investment professionals across the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine.