Michael Jantzi Research Associates Inc. today reported that the Jantzi Social Index decreased in value by 17.44% from its inception on Jan. 1, 2000 through Dec. 31, 2002. Over the same period, the S&P/TSX 60 decreased by 21.72% and the S&P/TSX Composite decreased by 18.23%.

“We’ve seen the Jantzi Social Index perform well compared to the traditional benchmarks in Canada over three difficult years in the investment markets,” said Michael Jantzi, president of Michael Jantzi Research Associates Inc., creator of the JSI. He adds that “the results are not surprising, given that backtesting prior to the launch in January 2000 showed that the JSI outperformed the TSE 300 by more than 150 basis points between 1995 and 1999.”

Gary Hawton, CEO of Meritas Financial Inc., which manages the Meritas Jantzi Social Index Fund, said that these results highlight once again that socially responsible investing can provide competitive returns for unitholders. “Social investors can align their investments with their beliefs, confident in the knowledge that the performance of their portfolios will help them meet their long-term financial goals.”

“Companies that practice good governance, and that integrate social and environmental parameters into business decision making, are better long-term investments than their industry counterparts that ignore the realities of the new marketplace,” said Jantzi.

The JSI is a socially screened, market capitalization-weighted common stock index modeled on the S&P/TSX 60. The JSI consists of 60 Canadian companies that pass a set of broadly based social and environmental screens.

More information regarding MJRA and the Jantzi Social Index, including a listing of the 60 companies on the index, is available at www.mjra-jsi.com.