Sustainable Investing with ESG Rating Uncertainty

65 Pages Posted: 14 Oct 2020 Last revised: 27 Oct 2022

See all articles by Doron Avramov

Doron Avramov

Reichman University - Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliyah

Si Cheng

Syracuse University - Department of Finance

Abraham Lioui

EDHEC Business School

Andrea Tarelli

Catholic University of Milan

Date Written: July 26, 2021

Abstract

This paper analyzes the asset pricing and portfolio implications of an important barrier to sustainable investing---uncertainty about the corporate ESG profile. In equilibrium, the market premium increases and demand for stocks declines under ESG uncertainty. In addition, the CAPM alpha and effective beta both rise with ESG uncertainty and the negative ESG-alpha relation weakens. Employing the standard deviation of ESG ratings from six major providers as a proxy for ESG uncertainty, we provide supporting evidence for the model predictions. Our findings help reconcile the mixed evidence on the cross-sectional ESG-alpha relation and suggest that ESG uncertainty affects the risk-return trade-off, social impact, and economic welfare.

Keywords: ESG, Rating Uncertainty, Portfolio Choice, Capital Asset Pricing Model

JEL Classification: G11, G12, G24, M14, Q01

Suggested Citation

Avramov, Doron and Cheng, Si and Lioui, Abraham and Tarelli, Andrea, Sustainable Investing with ESG Rating Uncertainty (July 26, 2021). Journal of Financial Economics (JFE), Vol. 145, No. 2, 2022, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3711218 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3711218

Doron Avramov

Reichman University - Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliyah ( email )

P.O. Box 167
Herzliya, 4610101
Israel

HOME PAGE: http://faculty.idc.ac.il/davramov/

Si Cheng (Contact Author)

Syracuse University - Department of Finance ( email )

Whitman School of Management
721 University Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244
United States

HOME PAGE: http://si-cheng.net/

Abraham Lioui

EDHEC Business School ( email )

France

Andrea Tarelli

Catholic University of Milan ( email )

Largo Gemelli, 1
Milan, 20123
Italy

HOME PAGE: http://sites.google.com/view/andreatarelli

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