Progressive Asset Management is launching a group of investments that's
designed to bring benchmark indexes into the area of socially
responsible investing.
Progressive, a
brokerage firm that specializes in SRI products, says its Progressive
Track Investments is the first comprehensive portfolio suite that is
socially screened and benchmarked for most major asset classes.
"We believe there
is a place and a real need for both passive and active management
strategies in the SRI world," said Phil Kirshman, Progressive's
director of business development. "For investment advisors who need SRI
solutions but are strongly inclined to use passive investing tools, we
offer the Progressive Track Investment portfolios as a unique addition
to the SRI product landscape."
The launch
consists of seven portfolios that are socially and environmentally
screened by Progressive and optimized by the Aperio Group of Sausalito,
Calif. Each portfolio may hold up to 150 securities.
The portfolios, by
asset class and benchmark, are: large-cap growth (S&P/Citigroup 500
Growth Index); large-cap value (S&P/Citigroup 500 Value Index);
mid-cap growth (S&P/Citigroup 400 Growth Index); mid-cap value
(S&P/Citigroup 400 Value Index); small-cap growth
(S&P/Citigroup 600 Growth Index); small-cap value
(S&P/Citigroup 600 Value Index), and international (MSCI EAFE
Index).