A defined contribution plan sponsor’s strategic decisions around asset allocation are far more influential to the performance of the pension portfolio than security selection or timing investments. “The strategic decision is very important in terms of long-term results and the long-term experience of your plan members,” said Chhad Aul, vice-president of portfolio management at Sun […]
Defined contribution plan sponsors have a tough job. “Every day that goes by, DC is getting harder and harder to solve for,” said Lorie Latham, senior defined contribution strategist at T. Rowe Price during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Defined Contribution Investment Forum in Toronto on Sept. 27. Looking to lessons learned in the […]
Canadian institutional investors want their portfolio companies to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics, according to a new opinion survey by the Responsible Investment Association. The majority (81 per cent) of respondents said they believe it’s important for their portfolio companies to reduce plastic waste, while 75 per cent said they’d like to invest in […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is appointing Zubaid Ahmad to the newly created role of senior advisor, United States. “This appointment elevates the CPPIB’s partnership and deal origination efforts to an even stronger position in the world’s largest investment market,” said the press release. Based out of New York City, Ahmad’s position is effective […]
Institutional investors should narrow in on the importance of human capital as an environmental, social and governance issue. “We know that ESG is about trying to balance the real world with the numbers,” says Sudhir Roc-Sennett, head of ESG at Vontobel Asset Management’s Quality Growth Boutique. So far, financial analysts have been relatively ill-equipped to measure a […]
The guiding document outlining best practices for fiduciaries practicing corporate engagement is in for a major update. As of January 2020, the U.K. Stewardship Code will include new expectations on how those investing on behalf of savers and pensioners integrate the activities of investment and stewardship, including on environmental, social and governance issues. The code, as […]
For intergenerational investors, such as foreign pension plans ramping up their exposure to alternative assets and leveraging patient capital, it’s worth paying attention to Indonesia’s potential. “If you follow the logic that the country’s going to be the fourth or fifth largest economy in the world . . . then, to me, it’s too big […]
The use of factor investing is on the rise among institutional investors, according to a new global survey by Invesco. “Factor investing has shifted from academic theory to an actionable strategy for global investors and the study allows us to understand what issues are key to their investment decisions,” said Mo Haghbin, chief operating officer of […]
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board and the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund Board are acquiring all issued and outstanding common shares of AltaGas Canada Inc. The Canadian company holds natural gas distribution utilities, as well as renewable power generation assets. In the transaction, the cash offering of $33.50 per common share is an approximate 31 per cent premium on AltaGas’ closing […]
The massive uptick in private equity investing is changing how companies raise capital. The private equity industry has grown by 500 per cent since 2000, according to research by Willis Towers Watson’s Thinking Ahead Institute. It found the increased interest from institutional investors is leading growing companies to seek fresh capital from the private markets rather […]