Beijing-Based KE Holdings Down on Upgrade

KE Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BEKE) a leading integrated online and offline platform for housing transactions and services, is pleased to announce today a significant upgrade in its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating by Morgan Stanley Capital International from “BBB” to “A.” This achievement marks the second consecutive year of improvement for Beike, reflecting its steadfast commitment to excellence in ESG practices within the industry.In MSCI’s latest evaluation, Beike earned an impressive overall score of 7.2 in the ESG social category, outperforming the global industry average of 4.3. This accomplishment is attributed to the Company’s continuous efforts in human capital development through tailored vocational training programs and structured career paths for service providers, together with its robust privacy and data security measures. Additionally, Beike made notable strides in exploring opportunities in incorporating green concepts across various business scenarios, such as establishing the “Lianjia Green Store Standard” to regulate eco-friendly renovations, material recycling, and smart energy control installations for the brokerage stores. These efforts contributed to a remarkable 1.8-point increase in the ESG environmental category from the previous year.The MSCI ESG Rating, developed by a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community, MSCI, serves as a benchmark for institutional investors to measure a company’s resilience to financially material ESG risks and to deploy capital in ways that maximize investment return over their time horizon.BEKE shares dipped 23 cents, or 1%, at the opening bell to kick off Friday trading at $22.67.