The impact of ESG ratings on U.S corporate resilience against the COVID-19 pandemic: An event-based study approach

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Volume Title

School of Business | Bachelor's thesis

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Date

2024

Department

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

(Mikkeli) Bachelor’s Program in International Business

Language

en

Pages

63+2

Series

Abstract

Objectives: The main objective of this paper is to examine the impact of ESG ratings on corporate resilience against three different COVID-19 events. Another aim is to test the influence of ESG score on stock performance across different industries. Summary: The study uses event methodology to test its hypothesis. The companies involved are categorized based on their industry and ESG score. The top 5 companies with the highest ESG score and the top 5 lowest ESG scoring companies across 8 sectors are collected to construct 16 portfolios. The portfolio performance is analyzed by examining the stock market reactions during three COVID-19-related events, which extend to five days prior to and after the event date. Conclusion: The empirical result of this research indicates that ESG scores can have a positive impact on companies’ resilience during COVID-19. This is especially true for companies in the industry vulnerable to negative events. The study contributes to existing literature and provides evidence for the hypothesis that investors reward companies with high ESG performance.

Description

Thesis advisor

Stepanov, Roman

Keywords

ESG ratings, corporate resilience, COVID-19, event study

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