Pension Fund Flexes Shareholder Muscles

CalSTRS in 2008 adopted 21 risk factors that discourage â?? but don't forbid â?? the fund from investing in companies that disregard human rights, make products that are "detrimental to human health" and so on. Steering away from controversial investments can be costly. Consultants have concluded, for example, that CalSTRS and CalPERS have lost hundreds of millions of dollars by dumping tobacco stocks.