San Jose, California, June 11th, 2018 (Newswire.com) — The Inspire Small/Mid Cap ETF [NYSE: ISMD] ranked among the top performing socially responsible investing (SRI) exchange traded funds, according to ETF.com based on total returns data spanning from the fund’s inception on February 28th, 2017 to June 11th, 2018.
Among a crowded field of 67 other socially responsible ETFs, ISMD’s recognition in the “Top ETF Performers” category of ETF.com is a boon to the biblically responsible investing industry, and the fund’s advisor, Inspire Investing.
Of particular interest is the fact that ISMD is managed according to biblically responsible investing (BRI) principles, and seeks to invest in what Inspire believes are some of the most positive, biblically aligned small and mid-sized companies in the United States as measured by Inspire’s innovative Inspire Impact Score methodology.
“When we launched ISMD there was skepticism from the industry and the media. Some people did not believe that an ETF managed according to biblical principles could perform well,” says Robert Netzly, CEO of Inspire, “We have always believed that investors should not have to sacrifice performance in order to invest with good values. The performance of ISMD is one more objective data point that we feel gives credence to that belief.”
ISMD also was recognized by ETF.com as the fifth-largest winner of assets under management (AUM) by percentage increase, with a 17.69% gain over the prior month, resulting in a total of $44.9M assets under management in the fund as of June 11th, 2018. And it was ISMD’s sister fund, the Inspire 100 ETF [NYSE: BIBL], that ranked as the #1 winner of assets under management by percentage increase, with a gain of 47.87% over the prior month, bringing BIBL to a total of $27.2M AUM as of June 11th, 2018.
The Inspire Small/Mid Cap ETF [NYSE: ISMD] is an equally weighted, passively managed index fund comprised of 500 US small and mid-cap stocks from a diverse array of sectors that seeks to replicate investment results that generally correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact Index. Stocks are selected based on their Inspire Impact Score, which is Inspire’s unique methodology of ranking businesses relative to their alignment with biblical values.
Using a wealth of data from some of the most respected data providers in the world, Inspire analyzes companies from the bottom-up with a rules based, methodology driven process through the lens of a biblical values worldview.
The result of this objective, data-focused process is an Inspire Impact Score that ranges from -100 to +100, with scores closest to +100 representing greater alignment with biblical values. Inspire invests in those companies closest to +100 and never invests in companies with scores lower than zero in any of their strategies.
“We believe that companies more closely aligned with biblical values represent higher quality investment opportunities, and ISMD’s performance seems to be supportive of that thesis,” says Netzly.
ISMD, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, had total net assets of $44.9M as of June 11th, 2018 and carries an expense ratio of 0.61%.
For more information on the Inspire Small/Mid Cap ETF [NYSE: ISMD], including performance, fact sheets, prospectus and other information, visit www.inspireETF.com.
Not only does Inspire Investing seek to invest in the most inspiring companies in the world, but they also aim to be one of the most inspiring companies in the world. As such, Inspire donates 50% or more of their corporate profits to Christian ministry every year. Last year alone Inspire built a clean water well for impoverished villagers in Nepal, provided relief for Syrian refugees and Hurricane Harvey victims, sent Bibles into North Korea and shared the hope of Christ with thousands of youth in America.
* Disclaimer: Investment advisory services offered through Inspire Investing, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC.
