What effect do low interest rates really have on how pension funds invest and what are the long-term consequences? When plan sponsors are underfunded, they have a few set options, according to a new paper by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. For a state-sponsored plan, the choice of whether to take on assets with higher […]
Institutional portfolios have been tilted towards growth assets as they’ve reached for higher returns during the bull market of the last decade. But as the business cycle continues to stretch, it’s a prudent time to consider downside protection measures. Wylie Tollette, executive vice-president and head of client investment solutions for Franklin Templeton’s multi-asset solutions business, […]
Global protectionism appears to be here for the long game. While investors may not want to start playing defence just yet, it might be time to start practicing again. In it’s mid-year outlook, the BlackRock Investment Institute noted risk reduction, including elevating the levels of cash in a portfolio, would be a prudent measure given the […]
Nearly half (46 per cent) of the world’s highest-emitting publicly listed companies aren’t adequately considering climate risk in their operational decision-making, according to a new report. Conducted for the Transition Pathway Initiative by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, the report used FTSE Russell data […]
With the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada and a patchwork of regulations governing its use in various states in the U.S., the sector’s influence is growing, according to new research by MSCI Inc. In total, 50 countries now allow some form of medical cannabis use, while six countries have legalized it recreationally. In terms of public […]
Indian-based infrastructure conglomerate IndInfravit Trust, whose owners include the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the infrastructure investment arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement Plan, is buying nine operational road projects from Sadbhav Infrastructure Project Ltd. The portfolio of roads, which was valued at more that $66 million rupees, or about $1.2 billion, includes seven toll roads […]
While geopolitical tensions are grabbing investors’ attention, how is Canada faring domestically? It’s a bit of a mixed bag, according to Russell Investments Group’s latest quarterly outlook, which noted that while Canada’s economic data has outpaced that of other developed markets, the rosy outlook may not last. Specifically, Russell’s analysis of Citigroup Inc.’s economic surprise […]
Subject to certain conditions, MSCI is set to promote its Kuwait index to emerging market status beginning June 2020. Later this fall, Kuwait’s financial markets are planning to open up to foreign institutional investors in new ways. If all proceeds as planned, the Kuwait index will be included in MSCI’s emerging markets index, which will […]
With renewed volatility prompting money managers back on their toes, equity markets have been leading investment industry discussions over the past few quarters. Against this backdrop, how is fixed income, the other fundamental building block of defined benefit pension portfolios, faring? For David Lafferty, senior vice-president and chief market strategist at Natixis Investment Managers, the […]
When it comes to investing member contributions, the Co-operators Group Ltd.’s defined contribution pension doesn’t look like many other Canadian plans. For one, it doesn’t use a platform approach to investing. Instead, much of its more than $1 billion in assets under management are part of a pre-constructed balanced fund with different target-risk levels with […]