Should pension funds put the brakes on low-volatility strategies?
After last year’s strong market returns, should pension funds put the brakes on low-volatility strategies?
- By: Tony Palermo
- July 16, 2014 September 13, 2019
- 07:00
After last year’s strong market returns, should pension funds put the brakes on low-volatility strategies?
Total assets managed by the top 100 alternative investment managers globally reached US$3.3 trillion ($3.54 trillion) last year, up from US$3.1 trillion in 2012.
During the darkest days of the 2008/09 financial crisis, emerging market fixed income showed surprising resilience. From Poland to Mexico to South Korea, local-currency debt…
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) has made a NZ$1 billion ($943.5 million) real estate investment in New Zealand.
The Government of Canada has sold $1 billion in 50-year bonds.
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is acquiring a 24.7% interest in clean energy firm Invenergy Wind.
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Onex have completed the sale of Gates Corp., Tomkins’ principal remaining business, to private equity funds affiliated with…
In a previous article, I focused on the decline of active management, arguing not that the potential for active management has declined over the past…
DB pension plans looking healthier.
Unigestion has announced the launch of its first-ever Canadian-domiciled world developed equities fund.
The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association released a report that makes recommendations on how businesses and governments can work together to build the infrastructure…
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Ivanhoé Cambridge, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec's real estate arm, have both announced separate real…
Actively managed exchange-traded funds have seen significant growth in the number of products offered and assets under management over the past year and continue to…
The universe of defined benefit pension managers’ pooled funds posted a median return of 0.5 per cent before management fees during the first quarter of…
The Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees’ Pension Plan is appointing Paula Potter as chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2026. She steps into the CEO role with…
The University Pension Plan of Ontario is reporting a 5.2 per cent total fund net return for the year, pushing its net assets from $12.8…
With only a few weeks left in a year impacted by trade wars, equity concentration risk and the increased appeal of artificial intelligence opportunities, defined…
The current moment is rooted in shifting ideas, characterized by the rise and fall of globalization, said Sean Speer, editor-at-large at the Hub and a…
Fading developed markets bilateral aid and U.S. tariff policy is pushing emerging markets debt as an attractive alternative for growing countries, according to Yvette Babb,…
Despite an uncertain market landscape impacted by geopolitical volatility, institutional investors are staying the course with portfolio management, says Andrew Norelli, managing director and member…
Defined benefit pension plans in Ontario reported a median solvency ratio of 122 per cent during the first quarter of 2026, according to a new…
The funded status of a typical defined benefit pension plan in Canada declined on a solvency basis for the second month in a row, according…
The combination of several innovations in defined contribution pension plan design can dramatically improve retirement readiness across income levels, according to a new report by…
Retirement income outcomes for capital accumulation plan members dipped in the first quarter of 2026, amid market volatility and ongoing geopolitical tensions, according to a…
Pension plan membership in Ontario increased year-over-year to 4.8 million in 2025 and David Bartucci, head of pension plan operations and regulatory effectiveness at the…
CPP Investments is reporting a return of 7.8 per cent for its 2026 fiscal year. The results helped increase its net assets to $793.3 billion…
While the global equities market recorded positive returns in the first quarter of 2026, a rebound seen in April was driven by only a few…
The energy market has done a reasonable job of shifting demand amid the strain of increased oil reserve consumption, says Michael Shaw, director and portfolio…
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is participating in a US$250 million debt facility deal, which will contribute an additional $100 million accordion…
The Nursing Homes and Related Industries Pension Plan is reporting an 11.5 per cent investment return in 2025. The Ontario-based target-benefit pension plan confirmed a…
CPP Investments is participating in a €400 million co-investment deal in French logistics firm Proudreed, alongside funds managed by alternative asset investor Blackstone Inc. The…
The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario recently joined the Global Real Estate Engagement Network, an industry coalition of institutional investors focused on addressing financially material…
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is reporting $226 billion in climate action investments as at Dec. 31, 2025, towards a goal of…
A third of U.S. plan sponsors say they’re very or extremely confident in their participants’ ability to retire at their target age, up from just…
Canadian institutional investors saw a median return of 0.52 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, according to a new report by CIBC Mellon.…
Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors are finding portfolio resiliency in an environment challenged by questions about the technology sector in the U.S., says Katie…
As an active investor, CPP Investments is leveraging its influence in the venture capital space to ensure it finds the right companies to invest in.…
The Global Risk Institute’s Sonia Baxendale is stepping down as president and chief executive officer later this year after nearly eight years in the role.…
The Joint Forum of Financial Market Regulators is establishing a committee to help implement its total cost reporting plan. The plan aims to increase investor…
More than a quarter (28 per cent) of male employees in the U.S. report a reduction in their stress levels due to their employer’s financial…