Nearly two-thirds of institutional investors say they’re planning to increase their allocations to real assets over the next two years, amid a backdrop of inflation and sustainability challenges, according to a survey by Aviva Investors. The survey, which polled 500 institutional investors from around the world, found nearly half (47 per cent) said they have […]
Institutional investors should be adopting innovative thematic approaches to derive more value from private markets, according to Nelson Lam, senior vice-president of equity and alternative investments at Trans-Canada Capital Inc., during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Investment Innovation Conference. “Why private markets? There’s at least 10-times as many private companies as public […]
In the current market, institutional investors should consider increasing allocations to real estate and real estate investment trusts, said Joseph Shaw, managing partner and head of institutional sales at Hazelview Investments, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2022 Defined Benefit Investment Forum. In the past decade, the average defined benefit pension plan’s allocation to real estate has risen, […]
When Saskatchewan’s Public Employees Pension Plan’s board introduced alternatives to its investment lineup in 2020 with an aim to improve the defined contribution plan’s risk-adjusted returns through diversification, it wasn’t its first time at the rodeo. The move came after 15 years of experience and comfort with alternatives through the PEPP’s defined benefit companion plan, […]
For the first time in three years, Canadian defined contribution pension plan sponsors, investment professionals and industry thought leaders gathered in person for Benefits Canada’s 2022 DC Investment Forum. On Sept. 23 at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, the full educational day covered topics such as behavioural finance, target-date funds, sustainable investing, real estate and fixed income, […]
While real estate has long been a part of defined benefit pension plans’ asset allocations, its inclusion in investment portfolios has steadily climbed in recent years. But defined contribution plan sponsors and members also stand to benefit from the asset class’ inflation-hedging properties, as well as its ability to boost income and improve portfolio diversification. Pension […]
Rising interest rates and market turmoil have called into question the ability of core fixed income to provide pension plan sponsors with its traditional benefits of stable returns and income, diversification and capital preservation. But Kevin Minas, vice-president and client portfolio manager of global fixed income at CIBC Asset Management Inc., said he actually expects […]
When Saskatchewan’s Public Employees Pension Plan decided to make investments in alternative assets, it took a defined benefit approach to its defined contribution pension plan, giving its members access to private equity and infrastructure while still offering daily liquidity. The strategy was fitting, given the PEPP’s companion DB plan, the Municipal Employees Pension Plan, had […]
As a fresh-faced elementary school student in 1977, Aaron Bennett wasn’t quite in the target demographic for the freshly launched Benefits Canada magazine. Still, Bennett — now the chief investment officer at Ontario’s University Pension Plan — has a pretty firm grasp on the concerns that would have occupied the minds of his predecessors as […]
Fixed income investing isn’t known for its excitement, but in the volatile markets of the post-coronavirus pandemic period, bond specialists may be in for a wild ride. “There’s more yield in the marketplace, so bonds are becoming a better competitor to stocks. . . . You should be asking yourself, how do I get more […]