Fundata Adds MSCI ESG Fund Metrics to Its Data Platform

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2017) - Fundata today announced that MSCI ESG Fund Metrics will be available on its platform, initially via fund snapshots and later incorporated in data feeds. The metrics offer users transparency on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) quality and characteristics of Canadian-domiciled mutual funds and ETFs.

Launched in March 2016 by leading ESG research and ratings provider MSCI ESG Research LLC, MSCI ESG Fund Metrics measures the ESG characteristics of portfolio holdings. It ranks and screens funds based on a diverse set of factors, including sustainable impact, values alignment, and ESG risks.

Janny Vincent, President and CEO of Fundata Canada, said, "There is growing demand in the Canadian investment market for more information around the sustainability profile of a portfolio. We are pleased to offer ESG Fund Metrics scores and metrics to our clients who want to look under the hood to better understand how a portfolio performs on ESG."

"These transparent, data-driven metrics shed light on three key areas of interest to the next generation of wealth holders: sustainable impact, values alignment, and ESG-related risk. We see that this demographic wants to understand if their investments align with their values and the extent to which they are making an impact."

On the Fundata platform, each fund will receive an overall ESG Quality Score and several metrics to measure exposure to companies identified as ESG leaders and laggards, sustainable impact solution providers, and socially responsible investing exclusions such as tobacco and weapons. ESG Quality is a measure of how well a fund's underlying holdings manage medium to long term ESG risks and opportunities.

Eric Moen, Managing Director of MSCI ESG Research, said, "MSCI ESG Fund Metrics leverages our flagship ESG Ratings of over 6,400 issuers and 400,000 Equity and Fixed Income securities globally to provide insight into the underlying holdings of more than 26,000 mutual funds and ETFs. By providing this level of ESG transparency, clients have the information available to make more informed investment decisions."

About Fundata

Fundata has been providing data aggregation and dissemination services to the Canadian media and financial marketplace since 1987. Fundata is a major provider in the distribution of fund and stock information in Canada. Our database contains data on over 38,000 investment fund products. Fundata provides customized data feeds, top-shelf analytics, cutting-edge software tools, and seamless hosted web solutions for fund companies, back office systems, investment planners, banks, trust companies, resellers and redistributors, and online, print, and broadcast media channels.

About MSCI ESG Research products and services

MSCI ESG Research products and services are provided by MSCI ESG Research LLC, and are designed to provide in-depth research, ratings and analysis of environmental, social and governance-related business practices to companies worldwide. ESG ratings, data and analysis from MSCI ESG Research LLC. are also used in the construction of the MSCI ESG Indexes. MSCI ESG Research LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and a subsidiary of MSCI Inc.

Contact: Reid Baker
Director, Analytics & Data
Phone: 416-445-5443 ext. 240
reid.baker@fundata.com