Sustainable Impact Investing is gaining traction not only with Argus Research clients but also with the global investment community. As assets have flowed in over the past 40 years, Sustainable Investing has evolved. The discipline, originally known as Socially Responsible Investing, first focused on excluding companies that conducted business in South Africa, or participated in industries such as tobacco, alcohol, and firearms. In time, the list of industries to avoid increased to include soft drinks, fast food, and oil and gas, among numerous others. Performance of initial strategies lagged, and the approach has been modified. Now, instead of merely identifying industries to avoid, the discipline promotes "sustainable" business practices across all industries that can have an "impact" on global issues such as climate, hunger, poverty, disease, shelter, and workers' rights. Given the strategy's focus on leading management practices, we expect the growth curve for Sustainable Investing to again slope upward in the years ahead.

Merck is a worldwide pharmaceutical company. Its major drugs include treatments in oncology and diabetes. The company also has a leading vaccine business and an animal health division. MRK shares are included in the S&P 500.

Headlines remain the order of the day, with major stock indices lower on Thursday as investors awaited developments in the Middle East that overshadowed the barrage of corporate earnings reports. In this ever-changing environment, the current newsflow has aggression increasing between the U.S. and Iran but no major outbreak as of yet. Domestically, markets will need to parse on Friday the news that the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down new 10% global tariffs imposed by President Trump, ruling them illegal because they overstepped presidential authority.

Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform, led by Keytruda, is a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business aimed at preventing pediatric diseases, as well as Gardasil for human papillomavirus. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, 47% of the company's sales are generated from US human health (pharmaceuticals and vaccines).