The funded ratio of the U.S.’s 100 largest defined benefit pension plans dropped slightly in August, from 76.8 per cent as of July 31 to 75.3 per cent as of Aug. 31, the result of a $98 billion funded status decline, according to Milliman Inc.’s latest public pension funding index. The result was driven by […]
Amid concerns of energy independence and rising costs, institutional investors are increasing their investments in U.S. power plants and electricity-generating assets, said Aleksandar Andonov, associate professor of finance at the University of Amsterdam, during a webinar hosted by the International Centre for Pension Management. Andonov shared the results of a study he conducted in partnership […]
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for pension funds looking to use an environmental, social and governance lens in their investment approach, according to a new publication from the pension research council at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Olivia Mitchell, a professor and executive director of the pension research council at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is reporting a net return of 4.5 per cent for the six-month period ending June 30, 2023. At the halfway point of the year, the AIMCo reported $6.1 billion in net investment income with a 5.2 per cent net investment return for its balanced fund, according to a press release. Read: How AIMCo, […]
Institutional investors are opening the door to the self-storage category to find some relief from a turbulent year in real estate. According to data published in July by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, self-storage is leading a pack of real estate categories disrupting the balance from traditional options in real estate investments […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is reporting a net return of 4.2 per cent for the first half of 2023. The result is a small increase from its established benchmark portfolio of 4.1 per cent. As of June 30, 2023, the investment organization had $424 billion in net assets, a 5.3 per […]
In 2022, Xero sent out a global survey to all of its employees asking them to rank the most important components of its total rewards program, from time off to flexible working policies, salaries to employee benefits. The software company’s Canadian employees ranked health benefits as one of the most important aspects of total rewards. […]
With Canadians’ financial priorities shifting alongside a turbulent economic climate, including inflation levels not seen in decades and a never-ending rise in the cost of living, it isn’t surprising capital accumulation plan members’ commitment to retirement savings is taking a hit. Benefits Canada’s 2023 CAP Member Survey found just 41 per cent of respondents rated […]
A new study looking at the implications of scale in defined benefit pension plans found size is key for several trends over time, including investment mandates, asset allocation and cost in returns. The research, ‘Scale Economies, Bargaining Power and Investment Performance: Evidence from Pension Plans‘ was recently awarded first prize in the International Centre for […]
U.S. state and municipal pension funds are on track to miss investment targets and are unlikely to see meaningful improvements in their unfunded liabilities or funded ratios in 2023, according to a new report by the Equable Institute. The report, which analyzed trends in benefits, cash flows, contributions, funding and investments at 225 of the […]