Sin Stock Returns

Abstract

In this article, the authors examine the issue of how social values affect economic values. Based on a small subset of the stock universe that has been generally associated with sin-seeking activities, such as alcohol consumption, adult services, gaming, tobacco, weapons, and biotech alterations, the authors find that a sin portfolio produced an annual return of 19% over the study period, unambiguously outperforming common benchmarks in terms of both magnitude and frequency. Several likely reasons for the positive excess returns in sin stocks are identified. The authors argue that trustees or fiduciaries who develop institutional investment policy statements should fully understand the economic consequences of screening out stocks of companies that produce a product inconsistent with their value systems. In addition, institutional investors should question if the cost to uphold common social standards is worthwhile.