COVID-19 – Benefits Canada.com

BCI adopts more stringent ESG expectations for companies it invests in

mschmit — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 06:06:14 +0000

The British Columbia Investment Management Corp. is raising its environmental, social and governance-related expectations for the publicly-traded companies it invests in. Under its new proxy-voting guidelines, updated every two years, the BCI made several significant changes in relation to diversity and inclusion, climate change and executive compensation. Specifically, the BCI now expects that women will […]

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At Davos, Canadian investment leaders set timelines for climate friendly economy

mschmit — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 05:50:10 +0000

Two Canadian investment leaders endorsed a transition to clean energy at a virtual Davos World Economic Forum on Wednesday as more investors worldwide push for concrete sustainability commitments. Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney said that politicians can help markets finance the transition to zero-emission economies by setting credible forward commitments. Canada’s carbon pricing […]

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Bank of Canada to update economic outlook with first rate announcement of 2021

mschmit — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 06:44:45 +0000

Canada’s central bank will update its economic forecast for the country Wednesday when it announces its interest-rate decision, offering a glimpse into its outlook for COVID-19 recovery. The Bank of Canada said in October the country had been spared from a worst-case economic scenario, but it still didn’t see a recovery taking hold until at […]

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Institutional investing in 2021: looking towards the future

mschmit — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 05:23:41 +0000

Last year offered up one of most tempestuous investment environments in recent memory, and this year looks to be equally dynamic. It will be increasingly important for pension investment committees to be proactive and flexible in the management and oversight of their portfolios. Those that can quickly assess and respond to fundamental economic shifts will […]

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Coronavirus to reshape mid-market private equity dynamics in year ahead

mschmit — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 07:21:03 +0000

The year 2020 tested the mettle of entrepreneurs and small business owners like none other in recent history. And private equity firms operating in the small- and medium-sized business space were called upon like never before to help manage through the pandemic. For many business owners, 2020 has been about survival and making it through […]

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Finding yield and diversification opportunities in small-balance credit

mschmit — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 05:02:31 +0000

Small-balance credit—a subset of alternative credit gaining traction in the United States as fintech makes modest consumer and business loans more investable—could be a yield generator for institutional investors. In addition, this type of credit could be a solid diversification tool, says Colin Kilgour, principal at Kilgour Williams Capital in Toronto. His firm runs the […]

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Three lessons 2020 taught institutional investors

mschmit — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 06:04:43 +0000

After years of relatively stable appreciation in global fixed-income and equity markets, investors were thrust into dramatic turbulence in the first quarter of 2020, as COVID-19 sent shockwaves through markets. From Feb. 20 to March 23, the S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index lost 37.20 per cent of its value in a mere 22 trading days, […]

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Institutional investing in 2020: a year in review

mschmit — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 05:33:59 +0000

We won’t soon forget 2020. This tumultuous year was characterized by a global pandemic, lockdowns around the world, spiking unemployment levels and business failures. Increasing political polarization in developed countries resulted in clashes between governments seeking to control COVID-19 and anti-mask factions, all amid a U.S. election, the results of which the sitting president continues […]

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A private markets perspective on the pandemic in 2020 and beyond

mschmit — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 10:29:59 +0000

What a difference a year makes. At this time in 2019, initial reports of a novel virus to be called COVID-19 were just beginning to come out of China, and the pandemic was still months from becoming front-page news around the world. Investors were busy instead planning for another regular year in 2020, setting return […]

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Pension funds playing defence amid coronavirus crisis

mschmit — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 04:32:11 +0000

Despite several bumps in the decade since the 2008/09 financial crisis, the swift and brutal crash in global equity prices when the coronavirus was declared a pandemic sent pension investors reaching for their playbooks to implement defensive strategies to mitigate the damage. “People have worked very hard at just acting on the set strategies that […]

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