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Jantzi index keeps up with the big boys

Jantzi index keeps up with the big boys
Catholic Register Staff

April 17, 2007

TORONTO - The social responsibility and environmental sustainability driven Jantzi Social Index continues to run neck-and-neck with conventional stock market indexes despite its underexposure in the energy sector.
Over the last year the JSI index of 60 Canadian stocks chosen for their social responsibility has grown 14.1 per cent, compared to 15 per cent for the similar S&P/TSX 60 index and 14.43 per cent for the broader S&P/TSX Composite.

In February Jantzi listed stocks dropped a collective 0.2 per cent — less than the 0.37 decline in the S&P/TSX 60, but lagging the 0.25 per cent gain in the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

The Jantzi has suffered along with most other socially responsible indexes around the world because it doesn’t include a broad list of energy stocks and is overexposed in the industrials and materials sectors. The JSI’s February performance was depressed by a dropping stock price for Suncor Energy Inc.

The best performing companies on the JSI in February were Brookfield Asset Management, Research in Motion and Nortel Networks. The negatives included Suncor, Canadian National Railways and PetroCanada.

Since its inception in January 2000, the JSI has seen a 79.74 per cent increase, more than either the S&P/TSX 60 at 69.03 per cent or the S&P/TSX Composite at 75.09 per cent.