City Holding Company - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

City Holding Company is Medium Risk.

City Holding Company is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. City Holding Company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	Medium Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

City Holding Company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its ESG Updates page: “As part of City’s commitment to reducing emissions throughout our footprint, City’s Vendor Management Team regularly evaluates potential service providers for their ESG commitments and ability to positively impact our operations” (1). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

City Holding Company does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

City Holding Company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its supply chain. From its Environmental, Social and Governance Updates page: “City is committed to economic inclusion through expanding relationships with diverse business enterprises that are owned by, or support through its conduct, minorities, women, members of the LGBT community, disabled individuals, and veterans” (1). The company is an affirmative action employer. “Our policy of affirmative action facilitates the placement of qualified women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans at all levels of the organization” (2). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

City Holding Company supports DEI within its business practices. From its ESG Updates page: “At City National Bank (“City”), we are committed to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)” (1). Otherwise, the company has not supported ideological causes or policies (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

City Holding Company has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

City Holding Company does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).