IW Financial Helps States with Sudan Divestment Measures

According to the announcement, IW Financial is offering the data and, if requested, guidance on prospective implementation models to help further states’ development of new laws or adherence to existing laws that require reporting, shareholder initiatives or full or targeted divestment from companies with operations in that country.

Several states, including Illinois (See Illinois Measure Bars Sudan Investments), New Jersey (See New Jersey Assembly Bans State Investment in Sudan), Maine (See Measure Requiring Sudan Divestment Passed in ME) and Oregon have enacted legislation banning investment in companies with Sudan ties. Earlier this year, IW Financial added information on corporate involvement in Sudan to its IWF Workstation platform (See Data Helps Investors Screen for Sudan Investments).

“Mandating sweeping divestment can be relatively easy for a state legislature,” said Mark Bateman, director of research at IW Financial, in the announcement. “As a plan sponsor or money manager of the state pension fund, however, deciding how to comply with the spirit of these laws can be much more challenging. We want to help states make informed decisions based on measurable criteria that will support divestment on a company-by-company basis so that money managers can fully comply.”

IW Financial can be found on the Web at www.iwfinancial.com .