Westwood Holdings - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Westwood Holdings is Medium Risk.

Westwood Holdings 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. The 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	Medium Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High 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:

Westwood integrates ESG into its business practices. From its ESG Webpage: “Westwood is committed to the successful integration and promotion of ESG at both the corporate level and investment level” (1). The company is a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment, incorporating ESG issues into investment analysis, decision-making, and other business practices (2)(3). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (4).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Westwood does not discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1)(2)(3).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Westwood does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1)(2).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Westwood supports DEI within its business practices. From its Corporate Diversity webpage: “At Westwood, Diversity and Inclusion are an integral part of our history, culture and identity. We embrace opportunity for individuals from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an environment that values unique ideas, perspectives and experiences… To continue and encourage diversity among our employees, Westwood has a Diversity and Inclusion committee that is committed to ensuring that diversity remains part of our identity.” (1). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its ESG Policy: “The UN PRI’s six principles for Responsible Investment offer investors an approach that incorporates ESG
considerations into the investment process. As signatories, we recognize the importance of considering ESG issues
as part of our overall investment process and support the organization’s efforts to encourage and develop a more
sustainable global financial system” (2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Westwood has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1)(2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

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