Unethical Investments

Pat Short

Would you knowingly invest in a fund yielding above average returns but where the social implications of this fund are negative i.e. Vice Fund?

Or would the investment choice be irrelevant so long as above average
returns are gained?

********

Just gathering a few opinions, views and real life stories etc.

kmick

Pat Short wrote: »

Would you knowingly invest in a fund yielding above average returns but where the social implications of this fund are negative i.e. Vice Fund?
Or would the investment choice be irrelevant so long as above average
returns are gained?
Just gathering a few opinions, views and real life stories etc.

Profiting from the misery of others is not a good way to live your life. Apart from the fact that a fund like this would never get regulatory approval karma would bite you in the ass eventually.

sbsquarepants

kmick wrote: »

Profiting from the misery of others is not a good way to live your life. Apart from the fact that a fund like this would never get regulatory approval karma would bite you in the ass eventually.

That's a fine sentiment but very hard to apply in practice, look at say coca cola for example, causes plenty of misery for plenty of people, any of the big sportswear companies, tobacco companies, drinks companies, oil companies and so on, if you look deeply enough there is misery and exploitation behind practically all big business, most of us, myself included simply turn a blind eye to it. That's just human nature :rolleyes:

pocketdooz

Pat Short wrote: »

Would you knowingly invest in a fund yielding above average returns but where the social implications of this fund are negative i.e. Vice Fund?

Or would the investment choice be irrelevant so long as above average
returns are gained?

********

Just gathering a few opinions, views and real life stories etc.

YES

DUBISAK

Pat Short wrote: »

Would you knowingly invest in a fund yielding above average returns but where the social implications of this fund are negative i.e. Vice Fund?

Or would the investment choice be irrelevant so long as above average
returns are gained?

********

Just gathering a few opinions, views and real life stories etc.

I would not invest in such a fund, well I like to think I wouldnt. However money can be a great eye turner and I believe just about everybody has a price...

pog it

The way I look at it is if it is causing harm locally or in my country then I would never invest in it. Take shell for example. I would never in my life give them a cent.

pocketdooz

pog it wrote: »

The way I look at it is if it is causing harm locally or in my country then I would never invest in it. Take shell for example. I would never in my life give them a cent.

Buying the equity does no mean you are giving the money to the company. You are simply transferring the equity from one equity holder to another. The money will go to the previous shareholder, not the company.

By the way, what do you fill your car up with ? Vegetable oil ?

pog it

Vegetable oil? No need to be sarcastic pocket. I just don't use Shell products.

Like I said-- I think locally when I think ethical investment.

It will be different for all of us.

also by giving them a cent i meant i would not contribute to their equity even if it meant my shares gaining in value.

sbsquarepants

pog it wrote: »

The way I look at it is if it is causing harm locally or in my country then I would never invest in it.

I don't know where you live but i'll guarantee that people in your locality have had their lives absolutely destroyed by alcohol, gambling, smoking related diseases etc, possibly even friends or family members of yours, that's a lot of boycotts to keep up!

pog it

I live in a community.

That's how I define local.

BendiBus

kmick wrote: »

Apart from the fact that a fund like this would never get regulatory approval...

http://www.vicefund.com/vicefund/abt.aspx

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=vicex

xp90

BAE Systems....a great bunch of lads

heno55

i wonder is there any such thing as a truly ethical investment apart from giving your money to a charity to invest in some poor country

displaced dub

heno55 wrote: »

i wonder is there any such thing as a truly ethical investment apart from giving your money to a charity to invest in some poor country

who in turn hand it over to some corrupt despot african to buy mercs, hookers and weapons.... this does happen, but its the only way some charities can actually access the real poor to help them, by bribing the leaders.

Look at all the money that has been poured into africa over the last decade and they are no nearer getting out of poverty, its a bottomless pit.

ED 209

Most companies are unethical in some way. I wouldn't get too hung up on it.

pirelli

Pat Short wrote: »

Would you knowingly invest in a fund yielding above average returns but where the social implications of this fund are negative i.e. Vice Fund?

Or would the investment choice be irrelevant so long as above average
returns are gained?

********

Just gathering a few opinions, views and real life stories etc.

NO I wouldn't.


I have faced this problem already. Only recently Sugar was in hot demand and i searched for a company to invest in,. there were not many listed sugar refineries but i found one:

IPSU imperial sugar company

The history of the company was that they had been negligent and allowed a build up of dust in the factory and this resulted in an explosion. When i was contemplating a trade The stock was cheap and the factory had just been rebuilt and it was trading at $10. It nows trades over $15


However i have a an academic understanding of safety and security and i was not impressed by the companies safety record and i was disgusted that they were refusing to compensate the families of all the workers that were killed in the sensless and uneccessary explosion.

So much so that depsite the huge financial gains i refused to buy equities in IPSU. I did mention this in a thread a while back already.


Another stock YUII supplies day old chicken for meat production. it recently listed on the nasdaq and had a record quarter. I would be keen to invest but I am unsure of the conditons of the chickens in a foreign counrty and so i havent invested.

I would shortsell and play an option on playboy PLA though.

Yorky

Would an etf be the best way to invest in The Vice Fund (VICEX). If so what is the most cost effective way to purchase this?

pirelli

pirelli wrote: »

NO I wouldn't.

Another stock YUII supplies day old chicken for meat production. it recently listed on the nasdaq and had a record quarter. I would be keen to invest but I am unsure of the conditons of the chickens in a foreign counrty and so i havent invested.

Why bother investing in a vice fund, There are more creative ways to make money.


YUII

This was $5 and now it's $10. That a 100% gain in a month that I have not gained from because china has some ground to cover on animal welfare so I am not profiting from this oppourtunity.

I invested in the iconic light bulb Pump and dump instead and made a nice 25% profit.

mikerockfield

As said above everything we eat, wear and use in todays world could have and most do unethical companies producing them.
But most of these companies create economy and jobs (however bad they may be) in countries where there is nothing, but at the same time that does not give them any right to abuse people of course!

I am currently investing in UK companies involved in Stem cell research and production. This medical science has been stalled over the years for ethical reasons, particullary in the US by Bush (of all people!!) But the first thing Obama did was lift these restrictions.
I personally believe this science has a massive future and huge implications for mankind.
On one side you have ethics over using Fetous cells (in some cases) and on the other there are already people getting huge results with recovery of sight and organs etc etc......Where does one stand on this, a controversial issue for sure!

pirelli

mikerockfield wrote: »

As said above everything we eat, wear and use in todays world could have and most do unethical companies producing them.
But most of these companies create economy and jobs (however bad they may be) in countries where there is nothing, but at the same time that does not give them any right to abuse people of course!

I am currently investing in UK companies involved in Stem cell research and production. This medical science has been stalled over the years for ethical reasons, particullary in the US by Bush (of all people!!) But the first thing Obama did was lift these restrictions.
I personally believe this science has a massive future and huge implications for mankind.
On one side you have ethics over using Fetous cells (in some cases) and on the other there are already people getting huge results with recovery of sight and organs etc etc......Where does one stand on this, a controversial issue for sure!

They discovered they didnt need to use the actual embryo if I recall. At least Bush forced them to rethink their methods.

kmick

BendiBus wrote: »

http://www.vicefund.com/vicefund/abt.aspx

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=vicex

"...alcohol, tobacco, gaming and defense/aerospace." All legal activities in this part of the world. Vice to me says drugs, prostitution, racketeering etc.