Dividend Investing Ideas Center
Critical Facts You Need to Know About Preferred Stocks
Have you ever wished for the safety of bonds, but the return potential...
Boston Common ESG Impact U.S. Equity Fund
mutual fund
BCAMX
Payout Change
Pending
Price as of:
$71.63
+0.82
+1.16%
primary theme
U.S. Large-Cap Blend Equity
share class
BCAMX (Mutual Fund)
Boston Common ESG Impact U.S. Equity Fund
Payout Change
Pending
Price as of:
$71.63
+0.82
+1.16%
primary theme
U.S. Large-Cap Blend Equity
share class
BCAMX (Mutual Fund)
Boston Common ESG Impact U.S. Equity Fund
Payout Change
Pending
Price as of:
$71.63
+0.82
+1.16%
primary theme
U.S. Large-Cap Blend Equity
share class
Name
As of 10/08/2024Price
Aum/Mkt Cap
YIELD
Annualized forward dividend yield. Multiplies the most recent dividend payout amount by its frequency and divides by the previous close price.
Exp Ratio
Expense ratio is the fund’s total annual operating expenses, including management fees, distribution fees, and other expenses, expressed as a percentage of average net assets.
Watchlist
Vitals
YTD Return
20.3%
1 yr return
38.9%
3 Yr Avg Return
10.0%
5 Yr Avg Return
15.2%
Net Assets
$64.3 M
Holdings in Top 10
44.2%
52 WEEK LOW AND HIGH
$70.8
N/A
N/A
Expenses
OPERATING FEES
Expense Ratio 1.17%
SALES FEES
Front Load N/A
Deferred Load N/A
TRADING FEES
Turnover 19.00%
Redemption Fee 2.00%
Min Investment
Standard (Taxable)
$10,000
IRA
$10,000
Fund Classification
Fund Type
Open End Mutual Fund
Name
As of 10/08/2024Price
Aum/Mkt Cap
YIELD
Annualized forward dividend yield. Multiplies the most recent dividend payout amount by its frequency and divides by the previous close price.
Exp Ratio
Expense ratio is the fund’s total annual operating expenses, including management fees, distribution fees, and other expenses, expressed as a percentage of average net assets.
Watchlist
BCAMX - Profile
Distributions
- YTD Total Return 20.3%
- 3 Yr Annualized Total Return 10.0%
- 5 Yr Annualized Total Return 15.2%
- Capital Gain Distribution Frequency Annually
- Net Income Ratio 0.13%
- Dividend Yield 0.4%
- Dividend Distribution Frequency None
Fund Details
-
Legal NameBoston Common ESG Impact U.S. Equity Fund
-
Fund Family NameBoston Common
-
Inception DateApr 30, 2012
-
Shares Outstanding964447
-
Share ClassOther
-
CurrencyUSD
-
Domiciled CountryUS
-
ManagerPraveen Abichandani
Fund Description
Boston Common Asset Management, LLC (“Boston Common” or the “Adviser”) seeks to preserve and build capital over the long-term through investing in a diversified portfolio of stocks and American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) of companies we believe are high quality (lower debt/total capital, earnings stability and stable cash flow), sustainable and undervalued. We look for companies with sound governance and a history of responsible financial management that we believe are capable of consistent, visible profitability over a long time horizon. We look for indicators of quality in firms if they are experiencing superior growth and operating successfully in their respective economic sectors. We measure a firm’s growth by comparing its products or services or improving competitive conditions among its peers. We then determine whether any of the individual firms appear to be trading at discounts to their intrinsic value. Here our research-driven conviction is enhanced by our 360-degree perspective where we integrate financial and environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) criteria into the stock selection process. We believe markets typically misvalue the risks and opportunities presented by ESG issues, both in terms of the timing and the magnitude of outcomes. We believe shareowner engagement plays a critically important role in raising the sustainability profile of our portfolios and empowers company management to be long-term in its focus.
Boston Common’s ESG research process integrates information from disparate sources to form a holistic understanding of corporate performance. The Adviser reviews company filings, trade journals, and industry reports to understand a company’s products and activities, and place it in context with its peers. We search business and news databases covering over 11,000 publications to capture events and analyses related to corporate practices. Boston Common references additional databases that document defense contracts, legal proceedings, and environmental violations, plus we subscribe to specialized ESG data services. The portfolio managers communicate regularly with trade unions, nongovernmental organizations, activist groups, and government agencies about corporate behavior on the ground and in the far reaches of the world. Boston Common queries corporate management through meetings, letter campaigns, emails, and phone calls about areas of particular concern. Drawing on this mosaic of sources, our analysts distill conclusions about a company’s overall profile across the full set of ESG issue areas. We may incorporate information from one or more third party ESG research providers, news sources, non-governmental organizations, and company and industry contacts. The Fund’s primary third party ESG research providers are MSCI ESG Ratings, MSCI ESG Metrics, MSCI ESG BISR Individual Screens, MSCI ESG Controversies, MSCI ESG BISR Global Sanctions, MSCI ESG Climate Change Metrics, ISS Climate Impact Reporting, Vigeo-Eiris, and Lexis-Nexis. We endeavor to integrate financial and sustainability factors into our investment process because we believe ESG research helps us identify companies that will be successful over the long‑term. We evaluate companies on (E)nvironmental issues,
looking for organizations that demonstrate a higher level of environmental responsibility than their peers and understand that natural resources are limited. We favor companies that conserve natural resources, reduce volume and toxicity of waste generated, and manage direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. We assess a company’s commitment to (S)ocial standards including human rights, animal welfare, workplace health and safety, and fair treatment of employees globally. We appraise companies’ adherence to best practices in (G)overnance, including policies favoring transparency and accountability to shareholders, and a commitment to diversity. As a result, we believe ESG research helps improve portfolio quality and financial return potential.
Boston Common’s principal belief is that companies with better ESG performance tend to serve as better long-term investments. Boston Common does not prioritize ESG impacts over returns and will not purchase a security for ESG purposes that has not met our financial criteria as it relates to an attractive balance of fundamentals and valuations.
The Fund’s ESG issue areas, which affect people and the planet include, but are not limited to, the following: environment, energy, human rights and employment, community, product purity and safety, governance, and labor and employment.
Boston Common selects stocks through bottom-up, fundamental research, while maintaining a disciplined approach to valuation and risk control. We may sell a security when its price reaches a set target if we believe that other investments are more attractive, or for other reasons we may determine.
Boston Common excludes securities of companies that: (1) receive significant revenues (>5%) or have leading market share in production and marketing of tobacco products, including components; (2) receive significant revenues (>5%) or have leading market share in production and marketing of alcoholic beverages, including components; (3) receive significant revenues (>5%) or have leading market share from gambling devices or activities including lotteries and hotels with casinos; (4) operate or have direct equity ownership of nuclear power plants, mine or process uranium for fuel supply crucial components of nuclear power reactors (zero tolerance); (5) receive significant revenues (>10%) from nuclear power plant design, construction, maintenance or parts; (6) demonstrate a history and pattern of marketing unsafe products, asserting false marketing claims, or engaging in irresponsible marketing; (7) engage in irresponsible animal testing or widespread abuses of animals, such as in entertainment and factory farming; (8) receive significant revenues (>5%) from the production of firearms or military weapons systems, including key components; (9) produce or manufacture biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons, anti-personnel landmines, or cluster munitions (zero tolerance); and (10) rank in the top 50 global defense contractors for weapons.
We use our voice as a shareowner to raise environmental, social, and governance issues with the management of select portfolio companies through a variety of channels. These may include engaging in dialogue with management, participating in shareholder proposal filings, voting proxies in accordance with our proxy voting guidelines, and participating in the annual shareholder meeting process. Through this effort, we seek to encourage a company’s management towards greater transparency, accountability, disclosure and commitment to ESG issues. In order to prioritize the Adviser’s focus and impact, Boston Common has established a three-year engagement framework with two to three key initiatives across our three sustainability pillars -environmental, social and governance. Boston Common continues to review these initiatives on an annual basis and track engagement impact through our reporting.
Boston Common reviews ESG-related impacts by actively encouraging shareholders to participate in proxy voting. Boston Common reviews its custom proxy voting policy prior to the proxy season to ensure the Adviser’s custom voting policy captures the desired corporate engagements’ expectations. Boston
Common reviews the proxy voting results with its proxy vendor's custom policy team at the end of the proxy season to ensure the expected outcomes were achieved.
Additionally, Boston Common measures and monitors its ESG engagement related impact by compiling the results of its direct dialogue with various portfolio holdings and the shareholder proposals initiated by Boston Common. In addition, Boston Common participates in both dialogue and shareholder proposals initiated by various industry-led coalition groups.
The U.S. Equity Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of U.S. companies that meet the Adviser’s ESG criteria. Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, as well as securities that are convertible into common stocks. The U.S. Equity Fund may also invest up to 20% of its total assets in ADRs. The U.S. Equity Fund may also invest in other stable, cash-flow generating companies, including publicly-traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”). The U.S. Equity Fund generally seeks to invest in companies that have market capitalizations of $2 billion or greater. The U.S. Equity Fund may at times invest a significant portion of its assets (greater than 25%) in specific sectors of the economy, such as in the information technology sector.
BCAMX - Performance
Return Ranking - Trailing
| Period | BCAMX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD | 20.3% | 4.4% | 35.1% | 56.11% |
| 1 Yr | 38.9% | 8.4% | 55.4% | 6.80% |
| 3 Yr | 10.0%* | -5.2% | 16.8% | 47.70% |
| 5 Yr | 15.2%* | -7.8% | 111.4% | 48.34% |
| 10 Yr | 11.9%* | 0.0% | 52.9% | 56.59% |
* Annualized
Return Ranking - Calendar
| Period | BCAMX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 19.2% | -42.6% | 47.4% | 49.19% |
| 2022 | -22.9% | -56.3% | -4.2% | 65.11% |
| 2021 | 19.3% | -27.2% | 537.8% | 40.50% |
| 2020 | 19.1% | -22.5% | 2181.7% | 8.54% |
| 2019 | 23.3% | -13.5% | 40.4% | 49.77% |
Total Return Ranking - Trailing
| Period | BCAMX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD | 20.3% | 4.4% | 35.1% | 56.11% |
| 1 Yr | 38.9% | 8.4% | 55.4% | 6.80% |
| 3 Yr | 10.0%* | -5.2% | 16.8% | 47.70% |
| 5 Yr | 15.2%* | -7.8% | 111.4% | 48.34% |
| 10 Yr | 11.9%* | 0.0% | 52.9% | 56.59% |
* Annualized
Total Return Ranking - Calendar
| Period | BCAMX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 25.9% | -5.0% | 47.4% | 31.98% |
| 2022 | -18.1% | -36.8% | -2.2% | 47.88% |
| 2021 | 24.5% | 3.0% | 537.8% | 73.86% |
| 2020 | 19.5% | -15.8% | 2266.0% | 28.04% |
| 2019 | 28.2% | -0.4% | 241.3% | 67.87% |
NAV & Total Return History
BCAMX - Holdings
Concentration Analysis
| BCAMX | Category Low | Category High | BCAMX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Assets | 64.3 M | 2.34 M | 1.55 T | 91.26% |
| Number of Holdings | 53 | 2 | 4002 | 76.62% |
| Net Assets in Top 10 | 28.5 M | 979 K | 517 B | 89.89% |
| Weighting of Top 10 | 44.18% | 0.3% | 112.9% | 19.66% |
Top 10 Holdings
- Microsoft Corp 8.58%
- Apple Inc 6.94%
- Alphabet Inc 5.62%
- NVIDIA Corp 4.53%
- Broadcom Inc 3.90%
- Visa Inc 3.31%
- Netflix Inc 3.03%
- Merck Co Inc 2.89%
- TJX Cos Inc/The 2.71%
- Costco Wholesale Corp 2.66%
Asset Allocation
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | BCAMX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | 98.76% | 0.00% | 105.85% | 56.63% |
| Cash | 1.40% | 0.00% | 99.07% | 38.67% |
| Preferred Stocks | 0.00% | 0.00% | 2.53% | 62.46% |
| Other | 0.00% | -13.91% | 100.00% | 70.15% |
| Convertible Bonds | 0.00% | 0.00% | 5.54% | 61.12% |
| Bonds | 0.00% | 0.00% | 94.06% | 63.83% |
Stock Sector Breakdown
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | BCAMX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | 28.21% | 0.00% | 48.94% | 10.54% |
| Financial Services | 13.97% | 0.00% | 55.59% | 41.10% |
| Healthcare | 13.14% | 0.00% | 60.70% | 77.84% |
| Communication Services | 10.98% | 0.00% | 27.94% | 12.44% |
| Consumer Cyclical | 9.65% | 0.00% | 30.33% | 64.58% |
| Industrials | 8.42% | 0.00% | 29.90% | 59.14% |
| Consumer Defense | 8.40% | 0.00% | 47.71% | 21.99% |
| Real Estate | 5.12% | 0.00% | 31.91% | 6.75% |
| Utilities | 1.24% | 0.00% | 20.91% | 75.45% |
| Basic Materials | 0.87% | 0.00% | 25.70% | 90.77% |
| Energy | 0.00% | 0.00% | 41.64% | 93.74% |
Stock Geographic Breakdown
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | BCAMX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 98.76% | 0.00% | 105.85% | 44.66% |
| Non US | 0.00% | 0.00% | 64.54% | 67.80% |
BCAMX - Expenses
Operational Fees
| BCAMX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 1.17% | 0.01% | 19.75% | 26.71% |
| Management Fee | 0.75% | 0.00% | 1.90% | 89.67% |
| 12b-1 Fee | N/A | 0.00% | 1.00% | N/A |
| Administrative Fee | N/A | 0.00% | 0.85% | N/A |
Sales Fees
| BCAMX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Load | N/A | 1.00% | 5.75% | N/A |
| Deferred Load | N/A | 1.00% | 5.00% | N/A |
Trading Fees
| BCAMX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Redemption Fee | 2.00% | 0.25% | 2.00% | 46.15% |
Related Fees
Turnover provides investors a proxy for the trading fees incurred by mutual fund managers who frequently adjust position allocations. Higher turnover means higher trading fees.
| BCAMX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | 19.00% | 0.00% | 268.00% | 41.63% |
BCAMX - Distributions
Dividend Yield Analysis
| BCAMX | Category Low | Category High | BCAMX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 0.42% | 0.00% | 25.47% | 17.68% |
Dividend Distribution Analysis
| BCAMX | Category Low | Category High | Category Mod | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Distribution Frequency | None | Annual | SemiAnnual | Annual |
Net Income Ratio Analysis
| BCAMX | Category Low | Category High | BCAMX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income Ratio | 0.13% | -54.00% | 2.44% | 80.25% |
Capital Gain Distribution Analysis
| BCAMX | Category Low | Category High | Capital Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Gain Distribution Frequency | Annually | Annually | Semi-Annually | Annually |
Distributions History
| Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 14, 2023 | $0.303 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 14, 2023 | $3.030 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Dec 16, 2022 | $3.149 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 17, 2021 | $2.756 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 17, 2020 | $0.190 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 17, 2019 | $0.268 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 17, 2019 | $1.532 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Dec 19, 2018 | $0.006 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 19, 2018 | $1.733 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Dec 19, 2018 | $0.287 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 19, 2017 | $0.000 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 19, 2017 | $0.967 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Dec 19, 2017 | $0.366 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 21, 2016 | $0.306 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 21, 2016 | $0.072 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Dec 21, 2016 | $0.311 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 22, 2015 | $0.008 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Dec 22, 2015 | $0.294 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 23, 2014 | $0.019 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 23, 2014 | $0.481 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Dec 23, 2014 | $0.266 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 23, 2013 | $0.623 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 23, 2013 | $0.358 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Dec 23, 2013 | $0.227 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 28, 2012 | $0.119 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 28, 2012 | $0.027 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
BCAMX - Fund Manager Analysis
Managers
Praveen Abichandani
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Apr 30, 2012
10.09
10.1%
Praveen brings nearly 25 years of investment analysis experience in equity research and corporate development in the telecom & media industries. Before joining Boston Common, he served as an equity analyst at Fidelity Investments, Citigroup Asset Management, and a hedge fund. While at Fidelity, Praveen managed the Select Industrial Equipment fund for two years and the Select Advisor Electronics fund for a year. At Citigroup Asset Management, Praveen was responsible for equity research of the global semiconductor sector. During his business development career at Cox Communications and GTE Wireless, Praveen worked extensively on projects in Mexico. He has also lived and worked in Japan and Germany early in his career at GTE. Praveen received his M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Osmania University in India.
Steven Heim
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Apr 30, 2012
10.09
10.1%
Steven Heim, Director ESG Research, has been with Boston Common Asset Management, LLC since its founding in 2002. Steven is primarily responsible for developing and implementing Boston Common’s ESG policy. With over 20 years of experience in the SRI/ESG field, Steven has been instrumental in helping shape the evolving body of sustainability criteria to define areas for shareholder advocacy and company engagement. Steven received two B.S. degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Geeta Aiyer
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Apr 30, 2012
10.09
10.1%
Geeta B. Aiyer, CFA, is the President, Founder and Chief Strategist of Boston Common Asset Management, LLC. Geeta founded Boston Common in 2002 and has served as its President since then. She has worked with sustainable and responsible investing since 1988, helping shape the evolving definition of global sustainable investing. Geeta received her M.B.A. from Harvard University and her B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Delhi, India.
Corné Biemans
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Dec 31, 2013
8.42
8.4%
Before joining Boston Common, he was a senior global equity portfolio manager for BNP Paribas Investment Partners. Corné managed the BNP Paribas (Fortis) Equity World Finance Fund for eight years, for which he received several Lipper awards. He started his career at Rabobank Group as an international economist in 1991. Four years later, he joined Fortis Investments as an international fixed income portfolio manager before moving to a position as equity analyst for European equities. Between 1999 and 2003 he was co-portfolio manager of global equity mutual fund Fortis OBAM. In 2003 he moved to Boston to help set up Fortis Investments’ global equities capabilities. Corné brings nearly 25 years of international investment experience to the firm. Corné earned a master’s degree in Monetary Economics from Tilburg University in the Netherlands. He is a member of the CFA Institute and The Boston Security Analysts Society, Inc.
Tenure Analysis
| Category Low | Category High | Category Average | Category Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.04 | 39.02 | 7.24 | 2.42 |
