Investment Solutions for United Methodist Organizations

Market and Fund Performance¹

• Fund Performance: Year-to-date, net-of-fees fund performance, through September 30, 2020, is available here.

• Markets at a Glance Video Update: Trish Halper, our new Deputy Chief Investment Officer, provides September’s video update.

• Monthly Investment Report: Read the full market and fund performance commentary in the September 2020 Monthly Investment Report.

Register Now: Quarterly Webinar

• Join us on October 22, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time for our Investment Insights Webinar – 3rd Quarter 2020 Review & Outlook. The investment team will recap investment activity and economic trends in the third quarter.
  
  To register, please click on the link below. A recording of the webinar will be available and distributed following the event.

Continued Growth in Assets Under Management

• Year-to-date, Wespath Benefits and Investments (Wespath) and its subsidiaries have received over $170 million in new investments from institutional investors.

New Hire Announcement — Wespath Hires Deputy CIO

• Patricia (Trish) Halper, CFA, has joined Wespath as Deputy Chief Investment Officer. Trish brings more than 20 years of experience to the role and will provide strategic advice regarding the effective execution and direction for investment funds made available through Wespath and its subsidiaries, as well as the organization’s broader sustainable investment initiatives.²
  View the full announcement.

Sustainable Investment Highlights³

• Wespath Presents at Climate Week NYC
  During September’s Climate Week NYC summit, Wespath’s General Secretary Barbara Boigegrain joined a panel of our peers from the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance at Climate Action’s virtual Sustainable Investment Forum to discuss our role in the transition to a sustainable economy.
  A recording of the event can be accessed here.

• Asset Owners Should Look to Lead the Transition to a Sustainable Future
  In his commentary published in Pensions & Investments, CIO Dave Zellner delivers a call to action, urging asset owners to act collectively to address systemic issues in order to improve market outcomes for all.

• Latest Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Scores Now Available
  Each year, as a signatory of the PRI, Wespath completes a questionnaire that reviews its sustainable investment program. The PRI then provides feedback and peer benchmarking regarding Wespath’s ESG integration and other sustainable investing activities. We are pleased to share that Wespath received an “A+” for overall Strategy and Governance and met or exceeded peers in every asset class category. Check out our full PRI scorecard. For more information on Wespath’s assessment, see PRI’s scoring methodology or refer to our transparency report.

• Impact Investing Webpage Now Live
  Visit our new impact investing webpage to learn how impact investments seek to strengthen local and global communities, while also producing market returns.

New Thought Leadership

• Investment Insights Blog
  Wespath recently launched a new blog featuring timely commentary from our team of investment professionals. In a recent post, CIO Dave Zellner reflects on time spent near the West Coast wildfires, and discusses where climate risk intersects with the pillars of Wespath’s Sustainable Economy Framework. Please visit our Investment Insights Blog to read all of our posts.

Three Decades of Impact and Performance: Wespath’s Positive Social Purpose (PSP) Lending Program In celebration of our PSP Lending Program’s 30-year anniversary, PSP Director Sylvia Poniecki reflects on how the Program seeks to deliver market-rate returns, while supporting affordable housing and positive community impact around the world. Read the white paper here.

      
wespath.com

¹ Historical returns are not indicative of future results. The investment funds are neither insured nor guaranteed by the government. For more information about the funds, please see the Investment Funds Description – I Series.

² As part of the Wespath organization, WII utilizes certain shared personnel, including the Wespath investment team. All WII shared personnel must comply in all respects with WII’s policies and procedures.

³ Wespath Benefits and Investments implements the sustainable investment strategies for investment funds made available through it and its subsidiaries, including Wespath Institutional Investments.