The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan returned negative four per cent in the third quarter of 2023, according to two new reports. The RBC Investor and Treasury Services’ universe, which tracks performance and asset allocation across Canadian DB plans, found the most recent quarterly losses mean the average return has decreased to 1.9 per cent […]
A tight labour market will have to loosen up in order to help reduce inflation rates, said Ilan Kolet, institutional portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Risk Management Conference. In 2022, inflation severely impacted the dynamic between stocks and bonds leading to a painful year, he said. “[Inflation] increases the correlation between […]
The funded position of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan increased on a solvency and an accounting basis as of Sept. 30, according to a new report by Telus Health. The monthly index, which demonstrates changes in asset levels for an average pension plan since the beginning of the year, found the average solvency […]
While the University of British Columbia’s staff pension plan already boasts a sizable investment in alternative credit, it still has room for more. “Overall, we have a favourable outlook for alternative credit and intend to continue growing our exposure in 2023,” says Josh Kruse, associate director at UBC Investment Management. “Rising policy interest rates and […]
Institutional investors will continue to invest in private credit as the market grows in 2024, according to one expert. Indeed, private credit opportunities are on the rise, since companies are struggling to obtain financing through traditional methods, says Arif Bhalwani, chief executive officer and managing director at Third Eye Capital. “A lot of these banks […]
The value of Canadian trusteed pension funds’ assets rose by $40.9 billion — roughly two per cent — in the first quarter of 2023 to $2.2 trillion, according to a new report by Statistics Canada. Within trusteed plans, public sector assets grew five per cent to $1.7 trillion, while private sector assets increased to $451 billion. Total revenue decreased […]
The Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System is reporting a total fund net return of 3.1 per cent for the six-month period ended June 30, 2023. The 12-month total fund net return was 7.8 per cent, while net assets totalled $127.4 billion, an increase of $7.9 billion over the last year, according to a press release. […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan posted returns of 0.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2023, according to RBC Investor and Treasury Services’ universe. Foreign equities emerged as the top performing asset class, boasting a median return of 2.9 per cent. In comparison, the MSCI world index returned 4.5 per cent, primarily […]
An article on the federal government’s plan to scrap Canada mortgage bonds and the potential impact on pension funds was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Feds’ plan to discontinue Canada mortgage bonds may limit pension funds’ abilities to mitigate risk: PIAC […]
The federal government’s plan to consolidate Canada mortgage bonds into the Government of Canada bond program could limit pension funds’ ability to mitigate risk through diversification, according to the Pension Investment Association of Canada. In an open letter to Finance Canada, the PIAC said the move may force institutional investors to choose between accepting lower […]