In a world where markets turn on a dime, the underlying economic fundamentals are often shoved to the side. “Diamonds are forever,” noted Avery Shenfeld, senior economist with CIBC World Markets, in an economist panel at the Benefits Canada Benefits & Pension Summit. “But when it comes to global economies, nothing else is really forever.”
First and foremost, custodians keep an investor’s assets safe and secure. But as pension plans continue to invest in more sophisticated assets—private equity, derivatives and hedge funds—custodians are no longer simply dealing with traditional stocks and bonds.
The uneven global economic recovery will continue to create a two-speed world where emerging economies will persistently outpace those in the developed world.
Coverage of the 2011 Global Investment Conference.
The fourth annual Benefits Canada Awards gala, held November 10, provided an opportunity for individuals in the pension and benefits community to gather and recognize some of the dedicated plan sponsors and money managers working to help provide Canadians with financial security into retirement years. The event at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel was made […]
Coverage of the 2010 Global Investment Conference
Global economic imbalances set to dominate the investment landscape.
Roughly 18 months after the financial crisis, the economic fog is beginning to lift, but custodians still struggle with declining pension assets. In this year’s Custody Report, State Street Canada—once again securing the No. 1 spot—reported $354.6 billion in Canadian pension assets under custody, a drop of 5.3% from last year. Right behind is RBC […]
The February issue of Benefits Canada featured a roundtable with senior representatives from custody service providers on the issues and trends facing the industry. This web-exclusive shares some of those insights a long with new commentary. Participants: J.B. (Bernie) Ward, director, corporate and group services, Canadian Western Trust François Gagnon, executive vice-president, custody services, Desjardins […]
Other Brieflies this week:| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | RBC Dexia Investor Services has launched a liability benchmarking tool to help plan sponsors align their assets and liabilities. “Our objective liability benchmarking service provides sponsors with an important tool to help monitor their ability to pay their pensioners,” says Fay […]