The 2018 LATINA Style 50 • Special Report
Assessing the 2018 LATINA Style 50 Report
Making a Business Case for Supporting Latinas in the Workforce
While this analysis is by no means comprehensive, as there are
additional variables that must be considered when making investment
decisions, it is difficult to argue against the power of diversity and
inclusion, especially when data proves its positive results. We must
applaud and continue to support the efforts of companies that recognize
our value and are committed to offering us Latinas opportunities for
career advancement and growth.
LS
Karen Vergara is a Financial Advisor at
Allgen Financial Advisors Inc. She is a
graduate of the University of Central
Florida and a Certified Public Accountant.
Disclaimer
*This analysis is based on available data at the time of analysis. Some company performances
have been omitted as they no longer exist or were not publicly traded. This analysis and returns
are also based on a yearly rebalancing of the portfolio to take into account the different
companies that are chosen as part of the index each year and an equal weighting of each
company. In addition, the measured performance and conclusions derived therein reflect
a retrospective look at market performance as the study is conducted after the companies have
been selected. It is never prudent to invest based on historical stock performance alone.
In addition, the LS50 index is not a real market index but rather a dynamic collection of
companies as chosen yearly by LATINA Style, Inc. The rates of return and performance
illustrated do not reflect any costs associated with investing in either index.
As such, the above article should not be construed, nor is it written to provide financial advice
as individual situations may vary and past performance is not indicative of future results.
Any decision to invest in equity markets should be consulted with a financial professional.
By Karen Vergara, CPA, Allgen Financial Advisors, Inc.
As a Latina professional, having worked in
Corporate America, I understand the challenges
that we face while climbing the corporate ladder.
Not only do we embody the historical and still
present gender-bias in the workforce but add to that
the cultural dissonance evident in corporate human
interactions. For years, both women and Latinos
have lobbied and continue to do so in efforts to be
recognized as viable contributors to society,
specifically to a company’s bottom line.
I can understand the potential bias I may have in stating my
value to Corporate America as a Latina. Why would I argue in
opposition to the essence of who I am? Therefore, I am elated to
be part of an exercise that introduces the objective reality of
numbers/data into the conversation. As a Latina Financial
Advisor, we promote ROI to our clients in their investments and
businesses. So, the question is, does supporting and promoting
Latinas in a company’s workforce provide a positive ROI?
Since 2001, Allgen Financial Advisors
(www.allgenfinancial.com), a Registered Investment Advisory
Firm, has been comparing the returns of companies in the LS50
to the stock market by using the S&P 500 index and the results
for this year are in.
In 2017, the S&P 500 gained an average annual return of
21.83 percent, while the companies in the LS50 gained an
average 32.25 percent, a positive difference of 10.42 percent.
Since this report has been commissioned, the LS50 has
outperformed by offering a total average annual return of 12.15
percent, while the S&P 500 has returned 7.98 percent, a positive
difference of 4.17 percent during the period.
To put these numbers into context, a hypothetical investment
of $100,000 in the LS50 in the beginning of 2001 would have
resulted in a final account balance of $532,905 while an equivalent
investment in the S&P500 would have resulted in a final account
balance of $283,610 at the end of 2017. That represents
approximately an additional $250,000 for an investor choosing
to invest in the LS50 index versus the S&P500.
38 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 24, No. 4, 2018
/(www.allgenfinancial.com)
/www.latinastyle.com
