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The Top Holding for CalPERS, America's Largest Public Pension Fund, Is the Closest Thing You'll Find to a Guaranteed Investment on Wall Street
The Top Holding for CalPERS, America's Largest Public Pension Fund, Is the Closest Thing You'll Find to a Guaranteed Investment on Wall Street

Yahoo

time29-05-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

The Top Holding for CalPERS, America's Largest Public Pension Fund, Is the Closest Thing You'll Find to a Guaranteed Investment on Wall Street

The quarterly filing of Form 13Fs allows investors to see which stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) the brightest money managers and biggest funds have been buying and selling. The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) has $143 billion spread across north of 1,100 securities (stocks and ETFs). CalPERS' largest position is a security that's never declined, on a total return basis, over rolling 20-year periods since 1900. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard S&P 500 ETF › There's nothing more important to investors than data -- and they're rarely, if ever, lacking for it on Wall Street. Between earnings reports, regular U.S. economic data releases, and Donald Trump's administration changing its tune on tariff and trade policy on a seemingly regular basis, there's always something for investors to dive into and learn. May 15 marked one of these pivotal data releases for investors. No later than 45 calendar days following the end to a quarter, institutional investors managing at least $100 million are required to file Form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A 13F provides a snapshot for investors that allows them to see which stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and (select) options contracts Wall Street's most-prominent money managers have been buying and selling. It's a nice way to uncover which securities and trends are piquing the attention of big-money investors. But there's a big world of investment dollars that extends beyond Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett and select billionaire fund managers -- and it pays to know what these funds are holding. For example, the California Public Employees' Retirement System, commonly known as CalPERS, manages north of $500 billion in assets on behalf of its more than 2 million members, which includes public employees, retirees, and their families. CalPERS spreads its investment capital across a broad swath of asset classes, including fixed income (e.g., Treasury bonds), private debt, private equity, and of course, public equities (stocks and ETFs). Though CalPERS closed the March-ended quarter with north of 1,100 securities in its portfolio, it's the top holding for America's largest pension fund that really stands out and delivers with long-term consistency. Based on CalPERS' 13F, its fund managers were overseeing approximately $143.1 billion in invested assets as of the end of March. With this being a highly diversified pension fund, only 14 of these positions equated to 1% or more of invested assets. But what a majority of these leading positions have in common is that they're Wall Street's most-influential businesses. Excluding Saudi Aramco, which isn't traded on U.S. stock exchanges, eight of the 10 public companies to have reached a $1 trillion (or greater) valuation are among these 14 positions, with only Tesla and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing missing. For instance, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is the second-largest holding for CalPERS (5.4% of invested assets), based on its 13F. The roughly 34.66 million shares held equated to almost $7.7 billion in market value at the end of March. Though Apple's growth heyday might be in the rearview mirror, it's still a cash-generating machine thanks to its top-selling iPhone and its high-margin, subscription-driven services segment. Also, no public company has repurchased more of its own stock than Apple. Artificial intelligence (AI) giant Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), which briefly became the most-valuable public company by market cap, is CalPERS' No. 4 holding by market value (4.4% of invested assets). Nvidia's Hopper (H100) graphics processing unit (GPU) and Blackwell GPU architecture are primarily responsible for overseeing generative AI solutions and the training of large language models in high-compute data centers. By one estimate, AI can add $15.7 trillion to the global economy come 2030, and Nvidia is at the center of this growth trend. The point being that many of CalPERS' biggest positions are tied to businesses that are instrumental to the ongoing success of the American and global economy. But it's CalPERS' top holding that has an as-of-now perfect track record of delivering for long-term investors. Though CalPERS' $143.1 billion portfolio is primarily comprised of individual stocks, the largest holding for America's top pension fund is an ETF: the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) (7.9% of invested assets). The beauty of ETFs is they can provide instant diversification or concentration, depending on your preference, with the click of a button. In this instance, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF attempts to mirror the performance of the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC). Instead of having to buy 503 separate securities -- three S&P 500 companies have two classes of shares, which is why there are currently 503 components and not an even 500 -- and weight them appropriately to effectively match the returns of the S&P 500, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF does this for investors with the click of the buy button. In return for this ease of investment, investors pay various fees in the form of the net expense ratio. These fees cover the costs of overseeing the fund, marketing, and so on. Generally, the more active the turnover in the fund, the higher the net expense ratio. The two biggest S&P 500 index funds by net assets are the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY). The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust was the first ETF to be listed on a national stock exchange. Although the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust effectively mirror the returns of the benchmark S&P 500, the two have one notable difference: their net expense ratios. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust has a low net expense ratio of 0.09%. This means $0.90 of every $1,000 invested will be kept for various fees. Meanwhile, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has a net expense ratio of just 0.03%. While six hundredths of a percent might not sound like much, it can add up over multiple decades as your investment grows. But what really makes the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF special is its, thus far, guaranteed long-term returns. To preface, nothing is concretely a given when it comes to the stock market. Neither I nor any analyst can tell you with 100% certainty what comes next for stocks. But S&P 500 tracking indexes like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF are the closest thing to an investment guarantee on Wall Street. Every year, the analysts at Crestmont Research update a data set that examines the rolling 20-year total returns, including dividends, of the benchmark S&P 500 dating back to the start of the 20th century. Even though the S&P wasn't officially incepted until 1923, researchers were able to track the performance of its components in other major indexes from 1900 to 1923 to obtain the relevant total return data. This resulted in 106 rolling 20-year periods to examine (1900-1919, 1901-1920, 1902-1921, and so on, to 2005-2024). What Crestmont Research found was that all 106 rolling 20-year periods produced a positive annualized return. Hypothetically, if you had purchased an S&P 500 tracking index at any point between 1900 and 2005 and simply held for 20 years, you made money every time. It didn't matter if you purchased at the top of a bull market, held through a recession or depression, or navigated through a war or pandemic -- you would have grown your wealth every time. Arguably no stock market investment has delivered with more long-term consistency than S&P 500 index funds – and no S&P 500 ETF has a more favorable net expense ratio than the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. Before you buy stock in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,389!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $830,492!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 982% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 171% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Tesla, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Top Holding for CalPERS, America's Largest Public Pension Fund, Is the Closest Thing You'll Find to a Guaranteed Investment on Wall Street was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

The Top Holding for CalPERS, America's Largest Public Pension Fund, Is the Closest Thing You'll Find to a Guaranteed Investment on Wall Street
The Top Holding for CalPERS, America's Largest Public Pension Fund, Is the Closest Thing You'll Find to a Guaranteed Investment on Wall Street

Globe and Mail

time29-05-2025

  • Business
  • Globe and Mail

The Top Holding for CalPERS, America's Largest Public Pension Fund, Is the Closest Thing You'll Find to a Guaranteed Investment on Wall Street

There's nothing more important to investors than data -- and they're rarely, if ever, lacking for it on Wall Street. Between earnings reports, regular U.S. economic data releases, and Donald Trump's administration changing its tune on tariff and trade policy on a seemingly regular basis, there's always something for investors to dive into and learn. May 15 marked one of these pivotal data releases for investors. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » No later than 45 calendar days following the end to a quarter, institutional investors managing at least $100 million are required to file Form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A 13F provides a snapshot for investors that allows them to see which stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and (select) options contracts Wall Street's most-prominent money managers have been buying and selling. It's a nice way to uncover which securities and trends are piquing the attention of big-money investors. But there's a big world of investment dollars that extends beyond Berkshire Hathaway 's Warren Buffett and select billionaire fund managers -- and it pays to know what these funds are holding. For example, the California Public Employees' Retirement System, commonly known as CalPERS, manages north of $500 billion in assets on behalf of its more than 2 million members, which includes public employees, retirees, and their families. CalPERS spreads its investment capital across a broad swath of asset classes, including fixed income (e.g., Treasury bonds), private debt, private equity, and of course, public equities (stocks and ETFs). Though CalPERS closed the March-ended quarter with north of 1,100 securities in its portfolio, it's the top holding for America's largest pension fund that really stands out and delivers with long-term consistency. America's largest pension fund owns pieces of many of America's most-influential businesses Based on CalPERS' 13F, its fund managers were overseeing approximately $143.1 billion in invested assets as of the end of March. With this being a highly diversified pension fund, only 14 of these positions equated to 1% or more of invested assets. But what a majority of these leading positions have in common is that they're Wall Street's most-influential businesses. Excluding Saudi Aramco, which isn't traded on U.S. stock exchanges, eight of the 10 public companies to have reached a $1 trillion (or greater) valuation are among these 14 positions, with only Tesla and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing missing. For instance, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is the second-largest holding for CalPERS (5.4% of invested assets), based on its 13F. The roughly 34.66 million shares held equated to almost $7.7 billion in market value at the end of March. Though Apple's growth heyday might be in the rearview mirror, it's still a cash-generating machine thanks to its top-selling iPhone and its high-margin, subscription-driven services segment. Also, no public company has repurchased more of its own stock than Apple. Artificial intelligence (AI) giant Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), which briefly became the most-valuable public company by market cap, is CalPERS' No. 4 holding by market value (4.4% of invested assets). Nvidia's Hopper (H100) graphics processing unit (GPU) and Blackwell GPU architecture are primarily responsible for overseeing generative AI solutions and the training of large language models in high-compute data centers. By one estimate, AI can add $15.7 trillion to the global economy come 2030, and Nvidia is at the center of this growth trend. The point being that many of CalPERS' biggest positions are tied to businesses that are instrumental to the ongoing success of the American and global economy. But it's CalPERS' top holding that has an as-of-now perfect track record of delivering for long-term investors. CalPERS' top holding has (thus far) been a guaranteed moneymaker Though CalPERS' $143.1 billion portfolio is primarily comprised of individual stocks, the largest holding for America's top pension fund is an ETF: the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) (7.9% of invested assets). The beauty of ETFs is they can provide instant diversification or concentration, depending on your preference, with the click of a button. In this instance, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF attempts to mirror the performance of the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC). Instead of having to buy 503 separate securities -- three S&P 500 companies have two classes of shares, which is why there are currently 503 components and not an even 500 -- and weight them appropriately to effectively match the returns of the S&P 500, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF does this for investors with the click of the buy button. In return for this ease of investment, investors pay various fees in the form of the net expense ratio. These fees cover the costs of overseeing the fund, marketing, and so on. Generally, the more active the turnover in the fund, the higher the net expense ratio. The two biggest S&P 500 index funds by net assets are the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY). The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust was the first ETF to be listed on a national stock exchange. Although the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust effectively mirror the returns of the benchmark S&P 500, the two have one notable difference: their net expense ratios. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust has a low net expense ratio of 0.09%. This means $0.90 of every $1,000 invested will be kept for various fees. Meanwhile, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has a net expense ratio of just 0.03%. While six hundredths of a percent might not sound like much, it can add up over multiple decades as your investment grows. But what really makes the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF special is its, thus far, guaranteed long-term returns. To preface, nothing is concretely a given when it comes to the stock market. Neither I nor any analyst can tell you with 100% certainty what comes next for stocks. But S&P 500 tracking indexes like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF are the closest thing to an investment guarantee on Wall Street. ^SPX data by YCharts. The above S&P 500 chart only goes back as far as 1950. Every year, the analysts at Crestmont Research update a data set that examines the rolling 20-year total returns, including dividends, of the benchmark S&P 500 dating back to the start of the 20th century. Even though the S&P wasn't officially incepted until 1923, researchers were able to track the performance of its components in other major indexes from 1900 to 1923 to obtain the relevant total return data. This resulted in 106 rolling 20-year periods to examine (1900-1919, 1901-1920, 1902-1921, and so on, to 2005-2024). What Crestmont Research found was that all 106 rolling 20-year periods produced a positive annualized return. Hypothetically, if you had purchased an S&P 500 tracking index at any point between 1900 and 2005 and simply held for 20 years, you made money every time. It didn't matter if you purchased at the top of a bull market, held through a recession or depression, or navigated through a war or pandemic -- you would have grown your wealth every time. Arguably no stock market investment has delivered with more long-term consistency than S&P 500 index funds – and no S&P 500 ETF has a more favorable net expense ratio than the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF right now? Before you buy stock in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,389!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $830,492!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is982% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025

Fund Managers Dump Apple and Nvidia Stock as Meta Claims the Power Seat
Fund Managers Dump Apple and Nvidia Stock as Meta Claims the Power Seat

Globe and Mail

time28-05-2025

  • Business
  • Globe and Mail

Fund Managers Dump Apple and Nvidia Stock as Meta Claims the Power Seat

Fund managers aren't just rotating — they're reshuffling their entire portfolios. From Apple (AAPL) to Nvidia (NVDA), the tech darlings of the last cycle are getting clipped as active mutual funds move into old-school financials and dependable healthcare names. A new report from Goldman Sachs (GS) shows that some of the biggest actively managed large-cap mutual funds, overseeing a massive $3.5 trillion, are unloading tech and rotating into banks, insurers, and dividend-heavy blue chips. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter And it's not just small cuts. Apple is now one of the most underweighted stocks in these funds. Fund managers held just 3.3% versus the benchmark's 6.3%. Nvidia was also trimmed to 3.6%, down from the 5% benchmark weight. Apple Takes a Hit as CalPERS Joins the Sell-Off The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest U.S. pension with over $540 billion in assets, also sold 5.1 million Apple shares in Q1. This brought its total holdings down to 34.7 million. The fund said the move was based on systematic, not emotional, decisions — but it coincides with a tough year for Apple. Shares of AAPL are down 11% in Q1 and another 12% in Q2 so far, massively underperforming the S&P 500, which has gained 3.4% this quarter. Add in Trump's tariff threats on iPhones built in India and Vietnam, and the road ahead for Apple looks even bumpier. Meta, AMD, and McDonald's Get a Seat at the Table While Apple and Nvidia are getting cut, CalPERS is loading up on Meta (META), AMD (AMD), and McDonald's (MCD). The fund added 579,150 shares of Meta, lifting its total to 5.5 million shares. Meta's digital ad biz is holding strong, and the company's now fighting back against a wave of scams on its platforms. AMD dropped 15% in Q1, but CalPERS doubled down, buying 325,180 more shares to bring its stake to 3.3 million. The chipmaker beat earnings, raised guidance, and signed a major AI computing deal in Saudi Arabia. It's bounced 7.4% since March. Meanwhile, McDonald's got a happy boost. The pension bought 494,290 more shares, bringing its total stake to 3.5 million. Despite weaker U.S. traffic, the burger chain is leaning into branded promos like its Minecraft Happy Meal, which helped Q2 sales bounce. The stock is up 7.8% in Q1 and holding flat in Q2. Financials and Healthcare Step In as Tech Stalls Goldman's report also highlights a sharp overweight into Wells Fargo (WFC), Bank of America (BAC), Visa (V), and Mastercard (MA) — all classic Buffett-style financials that are riding a wave of Fed rate optimism and Trump-era deregulation bets. The XLF ETF (XLF) is up nearly 4% this year, showing the sector's resilience. In healthcare, Cigna is up 15% YTD and Medtronic is holding firm. But not all bets paid off. UnitedHealth Group was another overweight that's now down over 40%, thanks to earnings drama and management issues. Rotation or Red Flag? Active fund managers are clearly moving away from momentum. But this isn't just about trimming froth. It's a deeper rotation into value and defensives — a hedge against volatility and a bet on post-tech-cycle growth. With 50% of large-cap mutual funds now beating benchmarks, compared to the historic 37%, it looks like this move is working. For now. See the Stock Comparison Breakdown Want a side-by-side breakdown of all the major stocks in play? Use the TipRanks Stock Comparison Tool to explore price targets, smart scores, and analyst consensus for names like Apple, Nvidia, Meta, AMD, McDonald's, and more. Click on the image below to dive into the data: Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue

Reshaping $540 billion portfolio: America's largest pension fund shuffles billions as CalPERS trims Apple stake, adds Meta, AMD, McDonald's
Reshaping $540 billion portfolio: America's largest pension fund shuffles billions as CalPERS trims Apple stake, adds Meta, AMD, McDonald's

Time of India

time26-05-2025

  • Business
  • Time of India

Reshaping $540 billion portfolio: America's largest pension fund shuffles billions as CalPERS trims Apple stake, adds Meta, AMD, McDonald's

Why Sell Apple? Why Buy Meta, AMD, and McDonald's? Live Events Meta by 579,150 shares (now 5.5 million total). Meta's advertising business is still going strong, and even though the stock dipped slightly early in the year, it's bounced back. AMD by 325,180 shares (now 3.3 million total). The chipmaker had a rough first quarter but then recovered. It just announced a big new project to build AI data centers in Saudi Arabia, which excited investors. McDonald's by 494,290 shares (now 3.5 million total). While foot traffic at US locations slowed, a popular Happy Meal promotion with 'The Minecraft Movie' helped turn things around. What Does This Mean? Leadership Changes Ahead The road ahead (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The California Public Employees' Retirement System, known as CalPERS, has made some big changes to where it puts its money. CalPERS is the largest public pension fund in the US, managing over $540 billion to support retirement benefits for more than 2 million California public quietly shifted some of its biggest investments in early 2025 as it sold more than 5 million shares of Apple , a company whose stock dropped 11 percent in the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, it bought more shares in Meta (the company behind Facebook and Instagram), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and McDonald' has been struggling in the market lately. On top of that, President Donald Trump recently criticized Apple for building iPhones in India instead of the US, even threatening a 25 percent tariff on iPhones made in foreign factories. That could make Apple devices more expensive for American buyers. CalPERS still owns plenty of Apple shares at 34.7 million, but decided it was time to trim increased its stake in:CalPERS said it doesn't make decisions based on short-term news. 'Our public assets investments are index-oriented and optimized using systematic and quantitative investment strategies, not driven by any single period's events,' the fund said in a other words, CalPERS takes the long view, using data and strategy to guide its more going on behind the scenes. Dan Bienvenue, who helped lead CalPERS' investment decisions for over 20 years, left in April. Now, CalPERS is looking for a new Deputy Chief Investment Officer to manage its public stock and bond investments. The new leader will play a big role in shaping where CalPERS puts its money next.'The DCIO will provide thought leadership, identify emerging trends, develop forward-thinking investment approaches, ensure a strong governance and organizational culture exists for investment decision making, ensure alignment with CalPERS long-term strategic objectives, and coordinate inclusion of public market asset class research, analysis, and information into Total Fund investment decision making and drive our CalPERS mission,' the job posting everyday people, especially public employees in California, these decisions matter. CalPERS' job is to keep retirement funds growing safely. These investment moves show how the fund is navigating a changing economy, political pressure, and global tech trends, all while staying focused on the long term.

Global giants to oppose Woodside directors at AGM as activists sharpen climate critique
Global giants to oppose Woodside directors at AGM as activists sharpen climate critique

The Australian

time08-05-2025

  • Business
  • The Australian

Global giants to oppose Woodside directors at AGM as activists sharpen climate critique

Some of the world's largest pension funds will vote against the election of three Woodside directors when the gas giant holds its annual shareholder meeting this week as its commitment to growing gas production inflames climate-minded investors. Woodside shareholders will assemble to vote on the re-election of two directors and the election of a third on Thursday in what has emerged as a de facto referendum on the company's emissions profile in the absence of a vote on climate strategy. US pension fund CalPERS, which manages more than $US500bn ($782bn), the near $US350bn CALSTRS and the 1.2tr Norwegian Krone ($178bn) Norwegian Storebrand Asset Management pension funds have said they intend to oppose the oil giant on several resolutions backed by the board. Storebrand said it would vote against Ann Pickard due her role as chair of the committee responsible for climate risk oversight at a time when the company has embarked on sustained fossil fuel production growth. 'The company is not aligned with investor expectations on net zero by 2050 targets and commitments,' said Storebrand. CALSTRS has declared it will vote against the re-election of Ben Wyatt and the election of Anthony O'Neill. The Australian understands the decision was not motivated by concerns on emissions reduction, but its proxies will nonetheless add to opposition from other climate-led voters. CalPERS has already said it voted against the re-election of Mr Wyatt. While enormous in assets under management, the three funds are not substantial Woodside shareholders in their own right. A Woodside spokeswoman said the nominees are regarded as excellent contributors to the company. 'The three Woodside directors offering themselves for re-election or election – Ann Pickard, Ben Wyatt and Tony O'Neill – bring complementary skills which contribute to ensuring the board has a balance of expertise, experience and tenure to deliver future value for shareholders,' the spokeswoman said. Proxy giant Glass Lewis has recommended to clients they vote against the re-election of Ms Pickard. Woodside is no stranger to shareholder showdowns. The WA-headquartered company has positioned itself to meet a rapid increase in LNG demand through new developments and potential acquisitions, and it expects to double gas production within six years. The expansion has been cheered by some investors, but it has placed it in the crosshairs of environmentalists and climate conscious shareholders. In a bid to placate concern, Woodside in March released a revised climate action plan — including a Scope 3 emissions target for the first time — and chief executive Meg O'Neill mounted a steadfast defence of the company's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking at the time, Ms O'Neill stressed the role of gas in replacing higher emissions coal. 'It is the tightrope that we are walking and the balance that we're trying to strike,' Ms O'Neill said. 'We are striking a balance of making sure that we are doing the three things we've said we'll do, which is to produce energy products for customers now and into the future to create and return value to shareholders, and to operate our business sustainably.' Woodside is used to shareholder pressure. The company was last year hit with a near 42 per cent shareholder vote against its climate strategy, while some 16 per cent of investors opposed the re-election of chair Richard Goyder. In the months since, Woodside has accelerated its expansion plans. Woodside last week gave the green light to the construction of the $US17.5bn Louisiana LNG mega project, which Will van de Pol, chief executive of Market Forces – a climate activist investor – said illustrates how the company refuses to listen to its shareholders. 'Woodside has thumbed its nose at shareholders, responding to last year's world record rejection of its climate plan by doubling down on gas expansion that will cause massive real-world emissions growth,' said Mr van de Pol. 'Some of the world's largest investors are fed up with Woodside and have already declared they will vote against directors standing for re-election at the company's annual general meeting.' The project will bolster production already poised to be swelled from the $12.5bn Scarborough LNG development in WA, and others in the United States. Ms O'Neill said Woodside is on track to cut its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030, while it maintains an 'aspiration' of net zero by 2050 or sooner. Read related topics: Climate Change Colin Packham Business reporter Colin Packham is the energy reporter at The Australian. He was previously at The Australian Financial Review and Reuters in Sydney and Canberra. @Colpackham Colin Packham

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