Harvard Case - Divesting Harvard's Endowment
"Divesting Harvard's Endowment" Harvard business case study is written by iel Green, Luis M. Viceira, Holly Fetter. It deals with the challenges in the field of Finance. The case study is 24 page(s) long and it was first published on : Oct 19, 2020
At Fern Fort University, we recommend a strategic approach to divesting Harvard's endowment, focusing on a phased, diversified approach that balances risk and return while aligning with the University's long-term goals. This strategy involves a combination of divestment, re-allocation, and active management, with a focus on financial analysis, risk management, and portfolio management to maximize long-term value creation.
2. Background
Harvard University, facing pressure from various stakeholders, is considering divesting a portion of its endowment, a significant pool of assets managed to support the University's operations and initiatives. The case study highlights the complex considerations involved, including:
- Financial Strategy: Managing the endowment's performance and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
- Ethical Concerns: Balancing investment returns with ethical considerations, such as environmental sustainability and social justice.
- Stakeholder Pressure: Responding to demands from students, faculty, and alumni regarding divestment from specific sectors.
The main protagonists are the Harvard Management Company (HMC), responsible for managing the endowment, and the University's leadership, tasked with balancing financial goals with ethical and social considerations.
3. Analysis of the Case Study
We can analyze the case using a framework that considers both Financial Performance and Ethical Considerations:
Financial Performance:
- Asset Allocation: The endowment's current allocation across various asset classes, including fixed income securities, private equity, and real estate, needs to be reviewed.
- Risk Management: HMC needs to assess the risk profile of the endowment and develop strategies to mitigate potential losses.
- Performance Measurement: The performance of the endowment needs to be measured against benchmarks and compared to peer institutions.
- Capital Budgeting: HMC should evaluate potential investments and divestments using capital budgeting techniques like net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR).
Ethical Considerations:
- ESG Investing: HMC should consider integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into its investment decisions, aligning with the University's values.
- Stakeholder Engagement: HMC needs to engage with stakeholders, including students, faculty, and alumni, to understand their concerns and incorporate their perspectives into investment decisions.
- Transparency and Accountability: HMC should ensure transparency in its investment decisions and provide clear reporting to stakeholders.
4. Recommendations
Phase 1: Strategic Divestment and Re-allocation:
- Identify and Divest: Begin by identifying specific sectors or companies that align with the University's ethical concerns and divest from them in a phased manner. This process should be transparent and communicated clearly to stakeholders.
- Re-allocate Proceeds: Re-allocate the proceeds from divestment to other asset classes, focusing on investments that align with the University's long-term financial goals and ethical values. This could include renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, or impact investing.
- Active Management: HMC should actively manage the remaining portfolio, focusing on risk management, cash flow management, and portfolio optimization.
- Financial Analysis: Conduct regular financial analysis of the endowment, using financial statements, ratio analysis, and financial modeling to track performance and identify potential adjustments.
Phase 2: Diversification and Growth:
- Emerging Markets: Consider investing in emerging markets with strong growth potential and alignment with the University's values.
- Technology and Analytics: Explore opportunities in technology and analytics, particularly in areas like fintech and sustainable technology.
- Partnerships: Seek strategic partnerships with organizations that share the University's values and can provide access to new investment opportunities.
- International Business: Expand the endowment's investment portfolio to include international business ventures, diversifying geographically and reducing exposure to specific market risks.
5. Basis of Recommendations
Our recommendations are based on the following considerations:
- Core Competencies and Consistency with Mission: The recommendations align with Harvard's commitment to academic excellence, ethical leadership, and social responsibility.
- External Customers and Internal Clients: The recommendations address the concerns of various stakeholders, including students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community.
- Competitors: The recommendations consider the investment strategies of peer institutions and strive to outperform them while maintaining ethical standards.
- Attractiveness ' Quantitative Measures: The recommendations are based on financial analysis, including NPV, ROI, and break-even analysis, to ensure long-term value creation.
- Assumptions: Our recommendations are based on the assumption that the University is committed to a long-term investment horizon and a responsible approach to investment management.
6. Conclusion
By adopting a strategic approach to divestment, re-allocation, and active management, Harvard University can address stakeholder concerns while maintaining its financial strength and achieving its long-term goals. This approach emphasizes financial analysis, risk management, and portfolio management, while aligning with the University's values and commitment to social responsibility.
7. Discussion
Other alternatives not selected include:
- Complete Divestment: This option would involve selling all assets in the targeted sectors, potentially leading to short-term financial losses and a significant shift in the endowment's composition.
- No Action: This option would maintain the status quo, potentially alienating stakeholders and failing to address ethical concerns.
Risks and Key Assumptions:
- Market Volatility: The recommendations assume a degree of market stability, but significant market fluctuations could impact the endowment's performance.
- ESG Investment Performance: The recommendations assume that ESG investments can generate competitive returns, but this remains an evolving area of investment.
8. Next Steps
- Form a Task Force: Establish a task force to oversee the divestment and re-allocation process, including representatives from HMC, the University's leadership, and relevant stakeholders.
- Develop a Timeline: Create a detailed timeline with key milestones for each phase of the divestment process.
- Communicate with Stakeholders: Maintain open and transparent communication with stakeholders throughout the process, addressing concerns and providing regular updates.
- Monitor Performance: Continuously monitor the performance of the endowment and make adjustments as needed to ensure alignment with long-term goals.
By following these recommendations and implementing a strategic approach, Harvard University can navigate the complex challenges of divestment while ensuring the long-term sustainability and ethical integrity of its endowment.
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Case Description
By early 2020 Harvard University was facing growing pressure from students, faculty, and alumni to divest its $40 billion endowment of financial stakes in fossil fuel producers. Its previous policy of avoiding the issue was quickly becoming outdated-$21 trillion of institutionally managed money now gave some consideration to sustainability. This case considers the two important questions surrounding a potential divestment: 1) Should the University alter its endowment's portfolio to meet broader social objectives, and 2) If so, how should it integrate climate objectives, or ESG considerations more generally, into its investment strategy and portfolio construction? In the case, the University is being advised on these questions by Nicole Abramson, an investment management professional specializing in ESG products. To formulate her recommendation, Abramson considers the views of Harvard's stakeholders and the sustainability best practices of institutional investors and asset managers around the world.
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