While an increasingly aging society will certainly affect the future of retirement savings and health care in Canada, this growing demographic shift may also offer an opportunity for institutional investors. “Within a decade or two, the largest single household cohort will be seniors,” says James McKellar, director of the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate and […]
The market value of assets held by Canadian trusteed pension funds grew 0.6 per cent between the first and second quarters of 2018, according to data from Statistics Canada. Investments in real estate saw the largest increase in the second quarter, up 2.5 per cent to $186.7 billion, and investments in mortgages saw the largest decline, down 13.9 per […]
The vast majority (91 per cent) of Canadian institutional investors have adjusted their voting and engagement policies to focus more on environmental, social and governance risks, according to a report by marketing agency Edelman. The report, which surveyed 500 Canadian institutional investors, found 65 per cent have made policy adjustments within the past year. As well, […]
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 […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is entering into a strategic partnership with Mila, the province’s artificial intelligence institute, to support and accelerate the development of AI in Quebec. Mila will set up the new Axe IA in the O Mile-Ex complex in Montreal. The projects chosen to be housed there will have to demonstrate their potential for […]
While many companies are aware of the United Nation’s sustainable development goals, with some mentioning them directly in their disclosure reporting, only 12 per cent of those referencing the goals actually set quantitative targets for meeting them, according to new research by PIMCO. The research, which analyzed how 246 companies interact with the framework of the sustainable development goals, […]
Faced with technological disruption, plan sponsors may benefit from taking a shorter-term approach to infrastructure investing and focusing on multiple, smaller-scale projects, says Andrew Claerhout, senior advisor at the Boston Consulting Group Inc. Infrastructure projects of the past were often large, essential service-related assets linked to government. But with the rise of technology and tightening government […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec’s real estate arm is forming a second investment vehicle for projects in the province’s urban centres. Ivanhoé Cambridge is partnering with investment firm Claridge Inc., as well as local developers, to grow its real estate portfolio in Montreal and Quebec City. Read: Ivanhoé Cambridge launches joint venture in Brazilian logistics […]
In advance of the climate change conference in Katowice, Poland this month, 415 global institutional investors signed a statement reiterating their support for the Paris climate agreement, noting the actions that various global governments must urgently take. Among the investors, which represent US$32 trillion in assets under management, the Canadian signatories include the Caisse de dépôt et […]
Uncertainty on how U.S. and Chinese policies will affect trade, Italy’s budget standoff with the European Commission, worry over Brexit and the U.S. Federal Reserve’s monetary policy all imply volatility for the coming year, according to Russell Investment Canada Ltd.’s 2019 market outlook. The firm is remaining neutral on equities and underweight U.S. stock, though it’s maintaining a more […]