It would be an understatement to say BlackRock has been a leader in ESG the last couple of years but the tides could be turning. There have been massive outflows from ESG in the month of May which has been unusual given the asset classes' widespread popularity where they topped $3.5 billion. BlackRock has been the main source of outflows from IShares ESG Aware MSCI EM and other popular funds. BlackRock has cut two of iShares most popular funds from seven of their ten models. This is potentially a huge blow, as it could signal the firms changing stance in ESG or it could just be smoke and mirror as asset allocations normally change. ESGs inclusion in many model portfolios has been key to its growing popularity.

Finsum: Are ESG investors really so skittish with the tightening in the economy; the long-term prospects for ESG still seem overwhelming.