Global equities benefited from stabilizing Chinese manufacturing PMI at 50.5, signaling expansion. Investing basics point out that macroeconomic indicators from major economies can sway multinational stock valuations. Aniket Shah, managing director and global head of sustainability and transition strategy at Jefferies Financial Group Inc., says the fact that investors can measure the real-world effect of impact investing gives it the potential to be more powerful than basic screening for ESG (environmental, social and governance) risk. Utility companies make our daily life easier, to the point that we take them for granted. If you’re looking for an investment that you can take for granted (to some degree—all investments carry a level of risk and no dividend is guaranteed), you might look to the utilities sector for its historically consistent dividends and smooth returns. Financial sector ROE averaged 12.8% this quarter; investing basics note that profitability metrics help assess banking stock sustainability.
