NU Online News Service, March 17, 1:43 p.m.EDT

Five insurers made this year's most ethical company list, withThe Hartford and Swiss Re among 110 other named companies,according to a think tank dedicated to promoting best practices inbusiness ethics.

Ethisphere said the companies it has selected for its World'sMost Ethical list, as a group, have outperformed the S&P 500every year since the award was developed in 2007.

“The World's Most Ethical Companies, if indexed, would havesignificantly outperformed the S&P 500 by delivering a nearly27 percent return to shareholders since 2007, compared to theS&P's negative 8.5 percent shareholder return during the sameperiod, proving there is a strong correlation between a company'sethics program and its performance,” said Alex Brigham, executivedirector of the Ethisphere Institute.

“These companies deserve recognition for setting the tone fromthe top and making high standards a priority. In addition toincreased financial performance, ethical companies benefit frombetter brand reputation, consumer loyalty and higher employeeretention rates. These companies understand that good, smartbusiness leads to higher profits and strongerorganizations.”

The five insurers to make the list were:

• The Hartford Financial Group.
• Swiss Re.
• Aflac Inc.
• Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Co. (WPSInsurance).
• Sompo Japan Insurance.

For its part, the Hartford said that it took great pride inreceiving this recognition.

“The Hartford's reputation for integrity is a cornerstone ofthis company,” said Alan Kreczko, executive vice president andgeneral counsel in a statement. “Every day, we build thatreputation by doing the right thing when interaction withcustomers, partners, vendors and one another.”

Jim Riordan, president and chief executive officer at WPSInsurance, said, “Earning this distinction—not just once, but twoyears in a row—sets WPS apart from our competitors as a leader inthe health insurance industry and as an employer of choice.”

Aflac noted that it has made the list for five straight years,the only insurer to achieve that distinction.

According to a Ethisphere spokesperson, Swiss Re has receivedthe award in four of the past five years and Sompo Japan hasreceived the distinction twice.

This story was updated in the last paragraph with aclarification about the past winners.