\u201cThe more diverse, the more successful,\u201d is the central conclusion of a recent analysis by McKinsey of more than 1,000 companies in 15 countries. According to the consultancy, inclusion and diversity are an ever more important factor for business success. Companies with greater gender diversity, for instance, are 25 per cent more likely to enjoy above-average profitability. In 2014 this figure stood at just 15 per cent. When ethnic diversity is included, the ratio rises to as much as 36 per cent. \u201cIt is all the more important that the advancement of inclusion and diversity does not get left behind in the current crisis,\u201d diversity expert Julia Sperling notes. That businesses still have room to improve in this regard is evident from the slow growth in awareness of the issue, with just a third of the companies analysed showing an improvement on 2014. The disadvantages for the tail-enders are enormous: According to the \u201cDiversity Wins \u2013 How Inclusion Matters\u201d study, the quarter of companies with the lowest diversity were 25 per cent less likely to perform above the average.<\/p>\n
The more different employees are on board, therefore, the more innovative are their ideas \u2013 which will ultimately be to the profit of the companies. Inclusion and diversity, which go hand in hand with respect for LGBT rights and the equal treatment of people, are in many places regarded as a viable means of meeting global challenges. The positive developments that diversity can deliver also make the subject an interesting investment objective. Swissquote has brought the Rainbow Rights Index into being on the basis of the criteria of inclusion and equality. The candidates for membership are major international groups which are active advocates for LGBT rights, gender diversity and equal treatment of people in their corporate social responsibility strategy. The allocation decision is also backed by a raft of quantitative calculations. The components of the index are reviewed on a quarterly basis and adjusted if necessary.<\/p>\n
The Rainbow Rights Index not only allows investors to harness the high growth potential of the companies, but also gives them access to a professionally and actively managed portfolio. This, too, is broadly diversified, the barometer containing 35 stocks at present. With an index share of 7 per cent, Swisscom is the heavyweight. The diversity of the domestic telecoms group\u2019s workforce is known to be the reason why Swisscom is one of the most innovative companies in Switzerland. The number two in the index also comes from Switzerland. Roche assumes that the acceptance of diversity can help enrich the decisions made in the company. The pharmaceuticals group has 169 nationalities on its payroll, with women comprising 49.3 per cent of the total workforce.<\/p>\n
With the recently issued tracker on the Swissquote Rainbow Rights Index, Leonteq is offering investors the opportunity to \u201cdiversify\u201d their investment portfolio in the truest sense of the word. The active approach of the index sponsor ensures that the composition is always up to date. The fees for the calculation, management and rebalancing of the index come to a combined 0.9 per cent p.a. The structured product is denominated in Swiss francs and has an open-ended structure to reflect the long-term nature of the subject.<\/p>\n