The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is taking part in a US$1 billion investment round, led by global technology investor Silver Lake, into Verily, a business owned by Alphabet Inc. Verily’s business involves research and engineering pertaining to improving health-care outcomes. The investment will add to Verily’s capacity to develop strategic partnerships, global business development opportunities and […]
The solvency positions of Canadian defined benefit pension plans declined in the fourth quarter of 2018 after experiencing gains in the first nine months of the year, according to Mercer’s latest pension health index. The median solvency ratio dropped to 95 per cent at the end of 2018 from 102 per cent at the end of […]
The largest corporate pension plans in the United States experienced a slight drop in their funded status at the end of 2018 due to the sharp decline in equities, according to an analysis by Willis Towers Watson. The study, which looked at the defined benefit pension plans of 389 Fortune 1000 companies, found their pension assets […]
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is buying 32 per cent of Wittur International Holding, an elevator components manufacturer. Purchasing the stake from funds controlled by Bain Capital Private Equity, PSP Investments intends to work closely with Bain Capital to enhance Wittur’s international expansion. “We are excited to partner with Wittur’s team and Bain Capital Private Equity for the […]
As new, enhanced Canadian Pension Plan contributions come into effect this year, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will receive and invest the increased funds. “Over the past year, CPPIB has worked to ensure that both the base CPP and the additional CPP amounts will be managed efficiently and with a view to the opportunities that may be created […]
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 […]
The drama in recent weeks surrounding the outcome of Brexit has proved Shakespearian, but on this side of the pond, should institutional investors be bracing themselves? “We’ve been thinking about this ever since the referendum and we keep updating our probabilities in different ways,” says Peter Westaway, chief European economist at the Vanguard Group. “I think we’ve boiled […]
Through a joint venture with California-based agricultural firm Pomona Farming, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board is buying about 165 square kilometres of land to diversify into GMO-free farms. Formerly used by Alexander & Baldwin Inc. to grow sugar cane, the land is on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The venture, called Mahi Pono, which translates to […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is adopting a new global policy to improve gender equality and increase the representation of women on corporate boards. Under the policy, the CPPIB will vote against committee chairs responsible for director nominations at investee public companies if the boards don’t have women directors. Read: CPPIB highlights efforts to encourage women on […]
The majority of global pension plans believe the rise of passive investment funds is a foundational change in how they now manage their portfolios, recognizing that both active and passive allocations are necessary, according to a 2018 survey by British firm CREATE-Research. Faced with this trend, the financial services industry must demonstrate the benefits of […]