ESG Leader Trillium's "Sustainable Opportunities" Investment Strategy Exceeds S&P Benchmark With Three-Year Average Annual Return of 2.8 Percent

BOSTON, Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment advisory firm Trillium Asset Management, LLC (Trillium) announced today the three-year results of its newest investment strategy, Sustainability Opportunities (SO).  SO achieved a three-year average annual return of 2.8 percent, compared to 1.4 percent for its underlying benchmark, the S&P 1500, for the period ending September 30, 2011.  

Trillium created SO to allow clients to invest in companies with the best overall sustainability profiles. The strategy targets companies that are creating positive change in one of three broad areas: Economic Empowerment, Green Solutions, and Healthy Living. Current SO holdings include:  Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Itron, Johnson Controls, EcoLab, Fresenius, Whole Foods Markets, Waters Corp., and Zip Car.*

The investment strategy is driven by rigorous fundamental analysis from a team of analysts looking for companies with strong growth prospects, while still trading at reasonable valuations. Sector experts embed an examination of key sustainability drivers into the full analysis of expectations for long-term company financial performance.

Trillium CEO Matthew Patsky said: "We believe that companies revolutionizing the fields of energy efficiency, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and preventive medicine have the highest growth prospects and benefit from profound secular changes in the global economy.   The three-year results we are reporting today confirm our belief in concrete terms that any investor will understand."

Patsky added :"In addition to great individual client interest, we are also seeing increasing institutional consultant interest in this strategy—particularly from consultants looking to pair it with a passive product in a core-satellite approach. As a thematic, high-conviction approach, SO has higher tracking-error and fewer holdings than our other portfolios, as well as no set sector constraints. In addition, SO has a higher international exposure than our core domestic strategies, at roughly 20% of the portfolio. Based on this, SO is our fastest growing separate account strategy, with over $40 million in assets under management."

ABOUT TRILLIUM ASSET MANAGEMENT
Founded in 1982, Trillium Asset Management, LLC is the oldest independent investment advisor devoted exclusively to sustainable and responsible investing (SRI). With approximately $900 million  in assets under management, Trillium has been managing equity and fixed income investments for high net worth individuals, foundations, endowments, religious institutions, and other non-profits since 1982. A leader in shareholder advocacy and public policy work, our goal is to deliver both impact and performance to our investors.

*The use of specific companies does not represent investment advice and is not meant to be a recommendation to buy or sell securities. They are used as examples to assist in the explanation of the SO investment process and are not a representation of our top holdings or current buy list.

.

SOURCE Trillium Asset Management, Boston