We recently published a list of 10 Pro-Life Companies to Invest In Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT) stands against other top pro-life companies to invest in now.
Investing isn’t just about numbers—it’s also about values. As socially responsible investing (SRI) gains traction, a growing segment of investors is looking to align their portfolios with their ethical beliefs. One such approach focuses on pro-life investing, where individuals seek to support companies that reflect their views on life-related policies while aiming for strong financial returns.
The 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade brought corporate policies on reproductive rights into the spotlight. Some Fortune 250 companies publicly committed to covering travel costs for employees seeking abortions, yet financial disclosures revealed many of these same companies donated millions to lawmakers supporting restrictive abortion laws. This contrast between public messaging and political contributions has fueled a push for greater transparency in corporate decision-making, prompting investors to scrutinize where their money flows.
According to the Sustainable Investments Institute, major U.S. companies and their PACs poured over $515 million into political candidates opposed to reproductive rights over two election cycles. These firms were among those balancing both pro-choice and pro-life initiatives, showcasing the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of corporate influence.
On the other side of the spectrum, values-based investing – sometimes called morally responsible investing (MRI) -has expanded as an alternative for investors who prioritize faith-driven or ethics-based financial decisions. This niche overlaps with broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies, which aim to integrate social values into investment choices. Within this space, funds like Ave Maria Mutual Funds, Timothy Plan, and GuideStone Funds have carved out a place by offering investment options aligned with specific moral and religious standards.
Ave Maria Mutual Funds, for example, applies a proprietary moral screening process to exclude companies involved in activities deemed inconsistent with its guiding principles. As of December 31, 2024, it managed $3.5 billion in assets, with its Ave Maria Growth Fund delivering a 14.77% return over the past year and a 9.44% return over five years. Similarly, the Timothy Plan, recognized as the oldest values-based mutual fund family, offers investment products that cater to investors seeking alignment with biblical principles. GuideStone Funds integrates a life-focused component into its portfolio, appealing to those who prioritize such considerations in their financial strategies.
Story Continues
For those looking to blend finance with philosophy, pro-life investing represents one of many ways to tailor a portfolio to personal beliefs. Whether an investor is motivated by ethical considerations, political leanings, or financial strategy, the rise of values-based funds suggests a growing demand for options that go beyond traditional profit-driven decision-making. As the investing landscape evolves, the conversation around corporate responsibility and political influence will likely remain a key factor in shaping financial choices. With these points in mind, we look at the pro-life companies to invest in right now.
Oil and gas engineers surveying an expansive landscape for producing oil fields.
To create our list, we focused on the top holdings of the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, which applies a fundamental security analysis filtered through pro-life and pro-family criteria. These screens exclude companies involved in abortion, embryonic stem cell research, Planned Parenthood, and pornography. Beyond moral considerations, the fund focuses on companies with a strong potential for price appreciation. We then ranked these companies according to the highest number of hedge funds ownerships. We have used Insider Monkey’s Q4 2024 exclusive proprietary database of hedge funds to arrive at our rankings.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Number of Hedge Funds: 3
Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT) is an express trust established in 1980, holding royalty interests in various oil and gas properties across the United States. The trust’s principal assets include a 75% net overriding royalty interest in the Waddell Ranch properties located in Crane County, Texas, and a 95% net overriding royalty interest in other major producing royalty properties throughout Texas. These assets generate revenue primarily from the production and sale of oil and natural gas, positioning Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT) as a significant player in the energy sector. It is one of the best Pro-Life companies to invest in.
The energy sector has experienced notable changes, particularly in New Mexico, where legislators approved an increase in future oil royalty rates for prime land from 20% to 25%. While this change does not directly affect Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT)’s Texas-based operations, it reflects a broader trend toward optimizing returns from natural resources, which could influence future regulatory considerations in other states.
As of March 22, 2025, PBT is trading at $10.07, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.98% from the previous close. Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT) reported a Q3 2024 net income of $8.1 million, with total revenue declining 6.81% year-over-year but stabilizing sequentially. This signals potential recovery if the trend continues. The stock trades near its 52-week low and below its 200-day moving average. Over the past five years, revenue has surged 398.35% to $29.92 million. Despite past gains, analysts recently downgraded PBT from “Buy” to “Hold,” with a $13.00 price target.
Overall, PBT ranks 10th on our list of the pro-life companies to invest in now. While we acknowledge the potential for PBT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PBT but trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
