ESG funds face U.S. SEC probe over trading away votes – Bloomberg News
2022.08.15 22:18
FILE PHOTO: The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
(Reuters) – U.S. regulators have been peppering firms offering funds that are marketed as sustainable with queries for several months, including how they lend out their shares and whether they recall them before corporate elections, Bloomberg News reported.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s probe is focused on whether managers of environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds are trading away their right to vote on such issues, the report said on Monday, citing four people with knowledge of the matter.
The investigation delves into whether asset managers are making the proper disclosures to investors, according to the report.
The SEC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Regulators have been making efforts to contain the risk of money managers overstating the ESG credentials of their products, which have racked up trillions of dollars.
