GlobeNewswire Inc | Mar 8, 2021 08:45AM EST

March 08, 2021

Provides Unbiased Metric to Distinguish Progress on Environmental, Social and Governance Issues for Over 800 Public Securities

One of the First Major Wall Street Firms to Provide Company-Specific ESG Scores in its Equity Research

NEW YORK, March 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cowen Inc. (NASDAQ:COWN) (Cowen or the Company) today announced that its market-leading equity research reports now feature an ESG Score designed to help investors quantify differences between corporations in areas of environmental, social and governance focus. Cowen is one of the first major Wall Street firms to provide company-specific ESG scores in its equity research. The Companys 55 analysts cover over 800 securities.

ESG factors have become a critical component of the investment process and there is a distinct need to have a solution set that can address the volume of information involved and standardization needed to have a clear view of corporate progress. Cowen, through its industry leading equity research team, is pleased to offer an unbiased, common ESG framework that can be used to distinguish between companies. Unlike many other ESG ratings systems, Cowens ESG Scores are forward-looking and uniform, which allow us to thoughtfully approach ESG discussions with our clients, said Robert Fagin, Cowens Director of Research.

Cowens ESG Scores evaluate companies performance on a 0 to 100 scale. A score of 50 represents a neutral impact. Scores above 50 are a more positive indication, and scores below are more negative.

Cowens ESG Scores are powered by technology and data from Truvalue Labs, a FactSet company. Truvalue uses artificial intelligence to capture stakeholders view of how companies are performing on ESG metrics, using the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) materiality framework.

Truvalue captures unstructured data from more than 100,000 sources, in 13 languages, which provide an indication of how stakeholder issues and potential controversies may affect a company based on real-time information. These data points are collected from a wide range of sources with varied perspectives, including industry publications, news outlets, NGOs, trade unions, government sources, legal and regulatory filings, and academic publications. Natural language processing is then applied to interpret semantic content from the original sources and generate analytics by applying criteria consistent with established sustainability and ESG frameworks.

"We are delighted that Cowen has chosen Truvalue Labs, a FactSet company, to power theirESGresearch and analysis, said Hendrik Bartel, SVP ofESGStrategy at FactSet. "We are aligned in our commitment to providing investors with timely, consistentESGscores from an external stakeholder perspective."

Added Fagin, The new scoring is also deeply reflective of Cowens commitment to supporting the global transition to more sustainable assets. Our partnership with Truvalue Labs is another way we are mobilizing our best thinking across the firm on ESG-related questions for our clients and supporting impactful, long-term change that can benefit industries and communities.

Cowen is committed to promoting strong environmental, social and governance standards for all of its stakeholders, including its clients, employees, family and the communities in which its stakeholders live. Additional information about Cowens ESG and sustainability initiatives may be found by clicking here.

AboutCowen Inc.Cowen Inc.(Cowen or the Company) is a diversified financial services firm that operates through two business segments: a broker dealer and an investment management division. The Companys broker dealer division offers investment banking services, equity and credit research, sales and trading, prime brokerage, global clearing and commission management services.Cowens investment management segment offers actively managed alternative investment products.Cowen Inc. focuses on delivering value-added capabilities to our clients in order to help them outperform.Founded in 1918, the firm is headquartered inNew Yorkand has offices worldwide. Learn more atCowen.com.

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MEDIA CONTACTGagnier CommunicationsDan Gagnierdg@gagnierfc.com646 569 5897