The majority of Canadian responsible investment (RI) funds outperformed their peers in the second quarter, according to a report from the Responsible Investment Association.
The report, which cites data from Morningstar, showed that 52% of Canadian RI funds outperformed the average return in their respective asset classes for the quarter ended June 30 — with some asset classes performing better than others.
Sixty-nine per cent of Canadian equities RI funds outperformed the average asset class return during the quarter. A slight majority of global equities RI outperformed the average asset class return, while only 41% of U.S. equities RI funds did.
Over the longer haul, however, U.S. equities RI funds have done exceptionally well: 88% outperformed the average asset class return over the past year.
Global equities balanced RI funds also performed well in Q2, with approximately 75% outperforming the average asset class return, according to the report.
During the second quarter, $2 billion flowed into RI funds, bringing the year-to-date total to $7.5 billion. There were five new RI product launches: three active funds and two passive funds.