horizons Page 16
Waiting to taper: Coping with low interest rates

It looked as if the long wait for higher interest rates was finally over back in May. That’s when U.S. Federal Reserve Chief, Ben Bernanke, made comments heard by bond investors around the world: he hinted the Fed had imminent plans to slow down or “taper” its historic bond buying program.

Looking for alpha

Hunting for alpha isn’t just about stock picking, say three portfolio managers.

Will tapering kill the equity risk premium?

Assessing the collateral damage from the great QE2 turnaround.

  • September 25, 2013 September 13, 2019
  • 16:12
Can market-makers handle active ETFs?

Why institutional trades might be harder for APs.

  • August 27, 2013 September 13, 2019
  • 13:02
Prepare DC plan members for retirement

To help their plan members prepare for retirement, DC plan sponsors need to complete the accumulation-to-de-accumulation cycle Retirement security for Canadians is clearly one of today’s big issues. It’s a hot topic for pundits and politicians. It’s the reason the federal government has introduced the Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act and financial institutions have been […]

  • By: Lori Landry
  • August 1, 2013 September 13, 2019
  • 07:00
Can market-makers handle active ETFs?

Active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are critical to the future of the industry. However, Knight Capital’s Reginald Browne says, when it comes to institutional trades, active ETFs are a bit more challenging for a market-maker.

Are ETFs driving stock prices?

Experts discuss how exchange-traded funds are moving markets.

  • July 3, 2013 September 13, 2019
  • 09:18
Are ETFs now driving stock prices?

At a Toronto roundtable, experts discuss how exchange-traded funds are moving markets and whether or not investors need to worry.

What macroeconomic trends mean for pension plan managers

In the early 2000s, the world seemed to be behaving pretty much as it should, or at least the way many institutional investors wanted it to. The risk-reward mantra worked well, in that risk (at least occasionally) was rewarded. Investors could see (and bet on) big trends continuing, such as the bull market in bonds, which was in full swing and building a momentum that would carry it into this decade. Diversification worked, too—different asset classes behaved, well, differently, which let investors take on risk in certain places while hedging their bets elsewhere.

Theory of evolution

Most discussions on evolution involve an investigation into the catalysts for change. DC plan sponsors, then, can look to DB investors’ evolutionary path to gain insight on future trends.