In the third quarter of 2018, Canadian defined benefit pension plans reached their highest solvency ratio of any quarter since November 2000, according to Mercer’s latest pension health index. Representing a hypothetical plan, the index reached a 112 per cent solvency level as of Sept. 28, 2018, up from 107 per cent at the ned of […]
Last year, I wrote about emerging market equities and whether their time had finally come. Should investors be considering an allocation to the asset class, which theoretically offers the promise of higher returns driven off demographic trends? I think it’s a worthwhile topic to revisit, while also providing an overview of investor behaviour since that time. As […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is partnering with a New York-based asset manager to invest in equity tranches of collateralized loan obligations. The partnership with Sound Point Capital Management, which is worth US$285 million, is through the CPPIB’s subsidiary CPPIB Credit Investments Inc. It will purchase equity in Sound Point’s collateralized loan obligations over […]
Alternative asset funds are adapting to keep pace with the significant and growing demand from investors, according to new research by the Alternative Investment Management Association. Institutional investors are looking to the funds amid ultra-low bond yields because of their need for steady performance. While the traditional appeal has been the funds’ “high-octane performance,” institutional investors are hungry […]
Institutional investors that divested from fossil fuels in the past five years didn’t do so at the expense of returns, according to new data by Genus Capital Management Inc. The firm’s 2018 divestment report, which looked at the returns gained by its Fossil Free CanGlobe equity fund, showed it beat its own benchmark and the Canadian stock market […]
A group of financial institutions, including the OPSEU Pension Trust, is launching a climate-focused pilot project that will map potential future climate impacts on investment performance. The project aims to integrate quantified risks associated with climate change into standard, forward-looking financial scenarios that drive strategic investment decision-making, according to a press release. The investors involved will use […]
eSports could be the next big growth sector, drawing the attention of institutional investors, according to a new report by Greystone Managed Investments Inc. The sector includes competitive video-gaming companies, as well as streaming services because they target both those who play the games and people who watch others play them as entertainment. The firm noted […]
Aon has developed a ratings system to more closely scrutinize how fund managers integrate environmental, social and governance issues into their investment strategies. The system begins with a proprietary questionnaire, followed by an examination of the manager’s responsible investing policy, should one exist, as well as its active ownership actions, stewardship policies and its ability to demonstrate how it’s previously applied the […]
The New Brunswick Public Service Pension Plan is providing a full cost of living adjustment to its almost 38,000 members for the sixth straight year. The 1.88 per cent adjustment, which is based on Canada’s consumer price index, is the highest its ever handed out, according to a news release. The adjustment is applied to […]
The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System’s infrastructure arm is taking on a 50 per cent stake in the BridgeTex Pipeline Co. for $1.438 billion. With the purchase, OMERS will be the largest shareholder of the company, which owns the BridgeTex pipeline and transports crude oil from Colorado City, Texas to refineries in Houston. “OMERS’ investment in BridgeTex is consistent with […]