The Impact of COVID'19 Widespread on the Performance of Socially Responsible Companies and Blue Chip Companies - A Comparative Analysis.

The paper attempts to answer an interesting question of whether green and socially responsible companies are well rewarded in terms of better price discovery and higher returns in the Indian stock market during the COVID'19 pandemic. The paper makes use of a semi-log regression equation, Paired Samples t-test and various risk-adjusted techniques of performance evaluation to achieve the objectives of the study. We find that the impact of COVID'19 was positive and significant for green and socially responsible companies. Further, these companies outperformed their counterparts by showing better price discovery, significantly higher returns and risk premiums using various risk-adjusted measures. Our findings have paved the way for green investing or socially responsible investing in India and are relevant for banks, mutual fund or portfolio managers, policymakers and investors. Offering green or socially conscious products like Green Fixed Deposit Options, Clean Technology Ventures, etc., should become a priority for banks and mutual funds. Regulators and policymakers should ensure that environmentally friendly and socially conscious businesses receive enough funding for the best possible use while causing the least amount of environmental damage. Since the securities of these companies are performing well during the pandemic period, there is a distinct possibility that investors are putting more faith in these companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]