With pension portfolios continuing to diversify globally, the practical and political decisions made by heads of state matter to institutional investors more than ever. But it’s a tall order to measure the risks around these decisions. In response to increasing demand for reliable data, Sustainalytics is revamping its risk ratings system for sovereign fixed income […]
South Africa’s economy has been sluggish in recent years, but upcoming changes could provide hope for institutional investors considering opportunities in the country. Its economy has been in a low-to-modest growth mode, said Falilou Fall, senior economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, during the Canadian Investment Review’s podcast “Pension Passport.” He highlighted policy uncertainty as a reason investment […]
When analyzing the likelihood of a trade war means keeping one eye on Twitter, the global backdrop for risk becomes more troubling. “You definitely start by taking that global temperature — looking at growth, inflation, interest rates, commodity prices, currencies, event risk,” says Rob Hall, institutional portfolio manager on the emerging markets debt team at […]
As active attempts to dismantle globalization are disrupting businesses already using tools to push growth and profitability forward, institutional investors need to remain vigilant after a decade of steady gains. Regardless of the asset class, cash flows over the last decade have been above average and even wildly abundant in some cases, says Robert Almeida, […]
Following years of steady, globally synchronized growth, volatility is back. In the final weeks of 2018, North American stock markets were especially hectic, posting losses in December to round out a relatively challenging year. Virtually every asset class, with the notable exception of commodities, has done well over the past decade, says Bert Clark, president […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its net assets by $0.2 billion during its third fiscal quarter, pushing overall assets up to $368.5 billion, off a 1.1 per cent return. “Broad declines in global public equity markets created a challenging investment environment during the quarter,” said Mark Machin, president and chief executive officer of […]
In a world of volatility, with markets driven by trade wars, Trump tweets and talk of a potential recession on its way, Scotiabank vice-president and deputy chief economist is shining a light of optimism. “A slight slowing in growth is a very distinct thing from a recession,” said Brett House, speaking at the 2018 Defined […]
Employers looking to recruit talent from other cities and provinces should consider boosting their relocation benefits and services, according to a new survey by staffing firm Robert Half Canada Inc. The survey found almost half (46 per cent) of employees said they’d consider moving if they had better pay and perks. Despite this, more than a third (37 per cent) […]
Looking ahead to the new year, 2019 is shaping up to be another challenging one for institutional investors looking for strategies to generate sufficient returns to meet their current and future obligations. Navigating the many variables — from rising interest rates and weakening global growth to threats of trade wars and the possible return of higher inflation — will […]
Many institutional investors include value-oriented equity strategies in their portfolio to provide protection during declining equity markets. But not all value strategies are created equal, as many found out during the global financial crisis 10 years ago. As well, many investors expected their portfolios to perform better than the broader market, to preserve cash, but this […]