Ariel Fund Institutional ARAIX Sustainability

This strategy holds securities with low exposure to ESG risk relative to those of its peers in the Morningstar US Equity Mid Cap category, earning it the highest Morningstar Sustainability Rating of 5 globes. ESG risk provides investors with a signal that reflects to what degree their investments are exposed to risks related to material ESG issues, including climate change, biodiversity, product safety, community relations, data privacy and security, bribery and corruption, and corporate governance, that are not sufficiently managed. ESG risk differs from impact, which is about seeking positive environmental and social outcomes.

One key area of strength for Ariel Fund is its low Morningstar Portfolio Carbon Risk Score of 7.99 and very low fossil fuel exposure over the past 12 months, which earns it the Morningstar Low Carbon Designation. Thus, the companies held in the portfolio are in general alignment with the transition to a low-carbon economy.

One potential issue for a sustainability-focused investor is that Ariel Fund doesn’t have an ESG-focused mandate. Funds with an ESG-focused mandate would have a higher probability to drive positive ESG outcomes. By prospectus, the fund aims to avoid, or limit its exposure to, companies associated with tobacco and small arms. Yet this goal is far from achieved, as the fund exhibits 2.22% exposure to small arms. This compares with 0.96% for its average peer in the US Equity Mid Cap category.

The fund exhibits moderate exposure (2.91%) to companies with high or severe controversies. Controversies are incidents that have a negative impact on stakeholders or the environment, which create some degree of financial risk for the company. Examples of types of controversies include bribery and corruption scandals, workplace discrimination and environmental incidents. Severe and high controversies can have significant financial repercussions, ranging from legal penalties to consumer boycotts. Such controversies can also damage the reputation of both companies themselves and their shareholders.