While massive monetary policy response didn’t drive inflation following the 2008/09 financial crisis, institutional investors are mulling over whether things may be different this time. The global economy has rarely seen such a swift willingness to engage with economic calamity on both monetary and fiscal levels, says Erik Weisman, chief economist and fixed income portfolio […]
While rising government deficits and debt are concerning for many bond owners, they should actually be more concerned that deficits aren’t big enough, said David Bezic, an independent economic consultant, during the Canadian Investment Review and Benefits Canada’s 2020 Plan Sponsor Week in mid-August. Many of the concerns around debt and deficits are founded on […]
The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System is acquiring a 19.99 per cent stake in TransGrid, an Australian electricity infrastructure company. The organization’s high-voltage transmission network connects around eight million people to the electricity supply. With a high proportion of regulated business making up about 90 per cent of its leased assets, TransGrid offers investors like […]
Target-date funds lead to defined contribution plan members taking more risk and becoming more diversified than they would be if left to their own devices. But despite these benefits, TDFs fail to provide what members really want and need — a reliable income replacement for life managed by somebody else. My colleague Ioulia Tretiakova and […]
With central banks targeting short-term interest rates near zero and engaging in quantitative easing, will they resort to other monetary policy tools like yield curve control to further stimulate the economy? Yield curve control is when a central bank targets a longer-term interest rate and then pledges to buy the required amount of bonds to […]
If climate change represents one of the largest systemic risks the global economy has ever faced, dealing with its ramifications is going to move a lot of money. The world’s youth have taken to the streets calling on their governments for massive, co-ordinated policy change, but it hasn’t yet manifested. Any piecemeal regulatory shifts suffer […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, alongside Morrison & Co. on behalf of the Utilities Trust of Australia, is acquiring the Infrastructure Fund’s ownership stake in the Sydney Desalination Plant. As a result of the transaction, Ontario Teachers’ ownership of SDP will increase to 60 per cent, while UTA’s interest, managed by Morrison & Co, will […]
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is buying 89,085 megalitres of permanent water rights from Olam Orchards Australia Pty Ltd. for a total of A$490 million. “Our agreement with Olam Orchards Australia is consistent with our strategy to partner with best-in-class operators who take the long-term view and to invest in high-quality agricultural assets globally,” […]
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s economic policies, known as ‘Abenomics,’ have led to big improvements in corporate governance in the country, says Iain Campbell, a portfolio manager for the Baillie Gifford Overseas Fund. While there’s been a lot of discussion about whether Abenomics is working, the improvements in corporate governance are coming through in how […]
For pension plans, consolidation can come with benefits. And around the world, funds are announcing they’re moving forward with plans to merge. In Canada, members of the United Steelworkers locals at the University of Toronto, University of Guelph and Queen’s University voted in June to create a jointly sponsored plan, with the goal of transferring […]