As inflation is back on institutional investors’ minds, some are eyeing an allocation to gold, both directly and through companies with exposure to the metal, according to one investment manager. “We’re actively having a lot of conversations right now with institutions,” says John Ciampaglia, chief executive officer of Sprott Inc. “What we’re finding is a lot more reception […]
Canadian defined benefit pension plans held steady in positive territory in the first quarter of 2018 with returns of 0.2 per cent, according to RBC Investor and Treasury Services. That’s down, however, from returns of 2.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2017 and 4.4 per cent in the final quarter of last year. Canadian equities took […]
Despite significant improvements recently to pension plan solvency levels, the start of 2018 has been a challenging one for institutional investors. Shifting monetary policies have put pressure on bond portfolios, while rising yields have started to affect the equity markets. On the equity side, the S&P/TSX composite index has gone from a high of almost […]
In spite of volatile public equity markets, the median solvency ratio for Ontario’s defined benefit pension plans was slightly higher at 95 per cent for the first quarter of 2018, compared to 94 per cent at the end of 2017, according to the Financial Services Commission of Ontario’s latest quarterly report. Equity markets were down in the first […]
The Canadian dollar has had its share of ups and downs over the past year or so. At the beginning of 2017, it sat at 74 cents U.S., rising to a recent high of 82 cents in September. Since then, it has fluctuated at around the 80-cent level, falling by a few cents throughout early […]
Following a strong 2017, the early February selloff and subsequent quick rebound, investors are rethinking their strategy as they face a mature bull market, according to a release from Schroders. “We still feel that we are in an environment that is supportive of taking risk, it’s just that it won’t be as supportive as it was last year,” […]
Solvency levels for Canadian defined benefit pension plans came down slightly in the first quarter of 2018, according to Aon’s monthly survey. It found, after decade-high levels in the last quarter of 2017, defined benefit plans had a median solvency ratio of 98.7 per cent as of April 1, 2018, falling slightly from 99.2 per cent in the […]
After the Paris Accord, how can green bonds help your portfolio?
The OPSEU Pension Trust posted a 9.5 per cent return for 2017, an increase on its six per cent return in 2016 and its eight per cent return in 2015. “We were strong across all the asset classes,” says Hugh O’Reilly, president and chief executive officer of OPTrust, noting the fund saw a 22.9 per cent return in public equities […]
The median solvency ratio for Canadian defined benefit pension plans dropped slightly in February as equity markets stalled, falling to 99.8 per cent from 101.3 per cent in January, according to Aon’s monthly survey. January’s solvency ratio was the highest since 2002, noted the survey. However, nearly half (49.6 per cent) of plans were more than fully funded […]