The median solvency ratio of Canadian defined benefit pension plans increased two per cent in the first quarter of 2024, according to a report by Mercer. The report, which tracks more than 450 DB pension plans, found the median solvency ratio grew to 118 per cent, as at March 29, 2024, from 116 per cent […]
As global markets navigate turbulent economic waters, active management is proving once again to be a lifeline for institutional investors to ensure their portfolios ride out the storm. Pension funds are currently operating amid uncertainty and potential risk, says Ruslan Goyenko, an associate professor of finance at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management. “There are […]
The “most widely anticipated recession in history” could arrive in 2024, said Eric Lascelles, chief economist at RBC Global Asset Management, during the keynote session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum in December. “This is still an environment in which higher rates are exerting quite a profound drag on economic growth, […]
Over the last year, the volatile interest rate period has increased demand for fixed income exchange-traded funds among institutional investors, said Robert Forsyth, head of SPDR ETF strategy and research at State Street Global Advisors, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. “Institutional investors were using ETFs to gain really quick access […]
The University of California San Diego’s Kroner Center for Financial Research is examining four research areas that can assist institutional investors in determining successful strategies that mitigate risk and generate alpha, said its executive director Michael Melvin, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. The think tank’s advisory council, which is comprised […]
Despite pension funds navigating a “swim-at-your-own-risk” environment with a lower probability of positive returns, they can’t just stop and sink — they have to keep swimming, said Karin Sullivan, vice-president of fixed income at Trans-Canada Capital Inc., during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. “[These financial challenges] have been going on now for two […]
The median solvency ratio of Canadian defined benefit pension plans declined in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to reports by Mercer and Aon. Mercer’s report, which tracked more than 450 DB pension plans, found the median solvency ratio declined to 116 per cent as at Dec. 31, 2023, from its previous high of 125 […]
Interest rate levels are critically important to the financial health of defined benefit pension plans. Many DB plans are in their best financial positions in decades, largely due to the dramatic rise in interest rates over the past few years, but decreases in interest rates could pose a major risk for many plans. Changes in […]
Institutional investors don’t have to wait for choppy waters to invest in event-driven credit, according to Duncan Farley, portfolio manager on the BlueRay fixed income team at RBC Global Asset Management, speaking during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Risk Management Conference. While the post-pandemic economy has negatively affected several industries, opportunities always exist for investors to […]
The International Monetary Fund is altering its expectations for global economic growth and inflation in 2023. During a recent press conference, the United Nation’s financial agency said it expects the world’s economy to grow by 2.9 per cent and the overall inflation rate to reach seven per cent this year. In January, it predicted the annual […]