If you invest in stocks, do you take into account ethical considerations? \ stacker news ~Stacker

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If you invest in stocks, do you take into account ethical considerations?

889 sats \ 16 comments \ @south_korea_ln 12 Mar Stacker_Stocks

These days, weapon manufacturers are having a field day with Europe deciding to increase its investments in national defense, the ongoing war efforts in Ukraine and Palestine, etc. I am fiercely opposed to the concept of war. Yet, I do like to make money, and if that's where the liquidity is, that's where I should potentially invest money, from a purely rational point of view.

So, my question to you stackers, do these kinds of ethical considerations play a role whenever buying stocks?

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152 sats \ 4 replies \ @0xbitcoiner 12 Mar

The way I see it, it's pretty simple—whether you invest or not, the markets couldn’t care less. They just keep going up and down like always. So honestly, someone investing in not-so-ethical companies isn’t gonna change a thing. At the end of the day, it’s a personal decision, and no matter what you choose, the actual impact on reality is basically zero.

83 sats \ 1 reply \ @south_korea_ln OP 12 Mar

Yeah, I agree with that. This resonates with @denlillaapan's continuous reference to the fact we are in a liquidity market now. Fundamentals don't matter much. That's also why I've mostly invested in ETFs like the SP500 in the past.

It's more of a moral question. I know that I won't have any impact. Boycotting such companies is a pointless thing, from a rational point of view.

But yeah, in the end, I'll probably just keep doing ETFs as I don't have the desire or energy to really start picking individual stocks. This way, I can avoid answering my own question by circumventing it.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @0xbitcoiner 12 Mar

I don’t judge anyone for this kind of decision. But if you think about it, the S&P 500 has weapons companies, so you’re basically investing in weapons. In the end, we’re just fooling ourselves! Hahaha

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @kilianbuhn 12 Mar

whether you invest or not, the markets couldn’t care less. They just keep going up and down like always.

which happens because of individual people buying or selling 😂

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @0xbitcoiner 12 Mar

The liquidity is mostly from institutions, not individual people.

127 sats \ 2 replies \ @BlokchainB 12 Mar

Yes indeed!

Besides the stocks I hold for experiment purposes I try to avoid companies that don’t align with my personal values.

I don’t want to profit off of death and destruction. I rather die broke and be at peace with my decision.

46 sats \ 1 reply \ @south_korea_ln OP 12 Mar

Yes, that's kinda my rationale too. But I've become more cynical over time. Some of my old values have become less important for a while now. I do hope to reignite that passion. Joining an anti-Yoon rally a while ago reminded me that I did use to care about societal issues.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BlokchainB 12 Mar

You have to stand for something or your will fall for anything! With the endless pursuit of getting money the dopamine rush we get when we see our wealth rise in any terms

Bitcoin Fiat Real estate Gold

Is intoxicating. Just like drugs, food, and porn.

You start lying to yourself and making justifications that explain away your greed as it causes others great misfortune. That is why I am a staunch critic of Warren Buffet. He doesn’t care about humans he cars about amassing wealth by exploiting the this fiat system.

190 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 12 Mar

When you invest in blackrock, are you not ignoring what you are investing in?

42 sats \ 0 replies \ @Butterfinger 12 Mar

Don't finance evil, that includes not only war, but junk food vaccines etc

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @alt 13 Mar

Defence stocks won't go up or down based on whether I invest in them. If I invest, it won't prolong the wars, and of I don't invest, it won't cut them short.

The death and destruction is happening anyway and will continue to happen. Why shouldn't I make money off that?

It's not like I'm even making money from the violence, I'm just making money from the movement of a number on a screen that's somehow connected to a company that builds the tools of the violence.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @endothermicdev 12 Mar

I do my own tax prep because I don't want to fund the lobbying that makes the tax code ever more bloated and convoluted. It's a lot more work than just avoiding the companies I most disagree with (ethically) in my portfolio, so yeah, I put my money where my mouth is there too.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SimpleStacker 12 Mar

Yes and no.

I do have investments in an index fund that is ethically focused and aligned with my personal morals.

On the other hand, one of my main reasons for trading stocks is to express my beliefs about world events. Buying and selling defense companies is a major way to express those beliefs. Since my own actions are not actually doing anything to contribute to the instability, and since I vote and speak my anti-war stances, I don't really feel bad about doing this. Remember, buying and selling shares are buying and selling shares already issued... it's not like you are directly helping the company fundraise.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @denlillaapan 12 Mar

No, and no.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 12 Mar

In a perfect world peace would make a ton of money but that just isnt the case. War employees people both in the fighting but also the logistics and manufacturing areas and things like healthcare etc. In some way shape or form everything gets weaponized in some way so if you want to make money.... yeah weapons manufactures are the way to go.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @_stacktoshi 12 Mar

There's enough opportunity out there. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

War stocks are the ultimate broken window fallacy. Sure there's a short term pay off for the window glazer, but what the tailor could have done with his money now must be re-spent on his store instead.