Australian investment manager IFM Investors is opening a Toronto office at a time of substantial growth in institutional investor business, says Ken Luce, executive director of IFM Investors Canada. “We have had two significant infrastructure investments in Canada. . . . It also gives a place for our investment team to even more closely manage […]
A growing demand for customized asset management services by institutional investors is proving to be an expensive proposition for managers, according to a new report by Crisil Coalition Greenwich. Providing customized service propositions is becoming standard in the industry, with half (50 per cent) of global investors indicating they were more likely to award additional […]
Size matters when it comes to Canada’s much-vaunted model of pension investment. Sebastien Betermier, an associate professor of finance at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, says the in-house capabilities and direct, private-asset investment that characterize the approach pioneered by the Maple 8 aren’t replicable by just any pension fund. “You need to be really […]
If U.S. securities authorities change the long-established financial reporting requirements for companies, it could bring the due diligence process for public companies closer to private firms, says Level Chan, a partner at Stewart McKelvey. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the need for companies to report financials on a quarterly basis and […]
The continuation fund model is a balanced response to open market uncertainty alongside high interest rates and volatility, according to Paul Smith, a partner at Stewart McKelvey, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2025 Alternative Investment Conference. Under the traditional private equity fund model, the investment vehicle has a fixed life, typically between […]
Defined benefit pension plan sponsors can improve their performance and risk assessment by closely evaluating the connection between assets and liabilities, said Jason Malinowski, chief investment officer at the Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Investment Innovation Conference. This is “because the portfolio return that changes your asset value is […]
The world’s 500 largest asset managers’ assets under management increased by 12.5 per cent to US$128 trillion in 2023, compared to $113.7 trillion at the end of 2022, according to a new report by WTW’s Thinking Ahead Institute. It noted the annual growth rate represents a significant recovery from the major correction seen in 2022, […]
It’s important for institutional investors to view risk mitigation as a way to improve the risk-return proposition and not as a way to express a bearish view on markets, said Rémi Tétreault, associate vice-president at Trans-Canada Capital Inc., during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2024 Global Investment Conference in April. “It’s about performing well in a […]
The Mastercard Foundation is launching an asset management company to build and manage a diversified portfolio to help fund its philanthropic mission. The Mastercard Foundation Asset Management Corp. will be overseen by John Barker, who will serve as its chief investment officer. He previously served as CIO at Mass General Brigham and as managing director […]
A new study looking at the implications of scale in defined benefit pension plans found size is key for several trends over time, including investment mandates, asset allocation and cost in returns. The research, ‘Scale Economies, Bargaining Power and Investment Performance: Evidence from Pension Plans‘ was recently awarded first prize in the International Centre for […]