An acceleration of significant weather events are impacting the risk premium earned from insurance-linked securities, providing a significant inflation hedge for institutional investors, says Bernard Van der Stichele, senior portfolio manager of insurance-linked securities at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. “ILS investments earn a risk premium that is directly proportional to the level of risk […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is looking at private assets as an opportunity to support investment returns across various Ontario-based pension plans. “We believe in private assets,” says Rossitsa Stoyanova, the IMCO’s chief investment officer. “They allow us to use some of our advantages like having a long-term horizon, our [in-house] expertise and taking […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is reinvesting $532 million in its majority-owned Brazilian water and sanitation company Iguá Saneamento. The new financial commitment will fund the company’s growth in the Brazilian state of Sergipe, according to a press release. “This sector has significant room for growth while also providing opportunities to invest in long-term, […]
Stewardship guidelines are helping institutional investors address climate risks and safeguard their investment in the long run, says Brian Minns, managing director of responsible investing at the University Pension Plan of Ontario. “We need stewardship as [a way of] protecting the investments that we have and trying to enhance their value over time for our beneficiaries. […]
An altering macroeconomic environment means that cost management requires continual attention by pension plans and other institutional investors. Today, as inflation and higher-for-longer rates exert upward pressure on institutional investors’ costs in a variety of areas, from technology to team member salaries, it’s time once again to re-evaluate the fees being paid to external asset […]
The funded position of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan rose on both a solvency and accounting basis in July, according to Telus Health’s latest pension index. It found the solvency of the average DB plan rose to 107.8 per cent, up from 107.6 per cent in June, while the accounting index increased from […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing $575 million in Montreal-based natural gas company Énergir. The investment, which will be made in partnership with the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, is designed to fund a decarbonization and resilience strategy at Énergir and will fund renewable energy projects and renewable natural gas production plants, according […]
An article announcing the finalists in the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards 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. Who are the finalists of the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards? 2. Ford, Lowes among employers pulling back from DEI policies 3. 68% […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. says there has been declining support for shareholder proposals linked to environmental and social factors, while support has increased for governance proposals centred around shareholder rights, according to the investment organization’s latest stewardship report. It cited increased scrutiny of ESG issues as a factor in the decline and noted the AIMCO […]
The end of the federal government’s real return bond program will deprive institutional investors and pension plan members of a valuable investment tool that can help protect against inflation, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. It found a majority of Canada’s largest institutional investors are interested in investing in real return bonds and […]