With the S&P 500 up around 90 per cent over the last five years — the so-called ‘Magnificent 7’ driving nearly 70 per cent of its gains this year — and trillions of dollars planned for artificial intelligence spending, some institutional investors have begun to question whether we are in a bubble and whether a […]
A growing demand for customized asset management services by institutional investors is proving to be an expensive proposition for managers, according to a new report by Crisil Coalition Greenwich. Providing customized service propositions is becoming standard in the industry, with half (50 per cent) of global investors indicating they were more likely to award additional […]
An article on proposed changes to preferred pharmacy networks outlined in the Ontario government’s fall economic statement was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Ontario taking steps to end preferred pharmacy networks, introducing VPLA framework 2. […]
Size matters when it comes to Canada’s much-vaunted model of pension investment. Sebastien Betermier, an associate professor of finance at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, says the in-house capabilities and direct, private-asset investment that characterize the approach pioneered by the Maple 8 aren’t replicable by just any pension fund. “You need to be really […]
As private market assets become more widely adopted by institutional investors, they open up new, unexpected opportunities. Tom Keenleyside, associate director of investments at Western University, is ready to meet the moment. “We are in the process of scaling up; I think private market investments have become more mainstream among institutional investors. . . . […]
Canadian equities played a role in strengthening the resiliency of institutional investors’ portfolios amid a volatile 2025, says Garey Aitken, managing director and head of Canadian equities at Franklin Templeton’s ClearBridge Investments. Indeed, Canadian equities provided a welcome surprised with overperformance, a consistent reason for positive results in pension index reports throughout the year. “Not […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan returned 4.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, up from 1.6 per cent in the second quarter, according to a new report by the Royal Bank of Canada Investor Services. This growth was driven by a broad-based mix of equity and fixed income contributions, the report […]
The federal government’s latest budget brought along several announcements relevant to the institutional investor community of Canada — including a fund-of-funds initiative, clean electricity tax credits, funding options for airport assets — but an update on the real return bond program was nowhere to be found. “I read the debt management report and definitely noticed […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board are supporting an investment deal in which alternative asset manager Apollo will invest $6.5 billion for a 50 per cent stake in an offshore wind project. The transaction for Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 — a U.K.-based ongoing clean energy project — […]
In its fall economic statement, the Ontario government said it’s introducing legislation that would amend the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System Act, enabling provisions intended to enhance the OMERS’ governance, strengthen transparency and accountability. The introduction of legislation takes place following a 2024 governance review that was completed earlier this fall. In his report, special advisor […]