The Canadian dollar has had its share of ups and downs over the past year or so. At the beginning of 2017, it sat at 74 cents U.S., rising to a recent high of 82 cents in September. Since then, it has fluctuated at around the 80-cent level, falling by a few cents throughout early […]
While managers of target-date funds have benefited from strong tailwinds in recent years, how can they manage the current environment of uncertainty? Ruthann Pritchard, an institutional portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments, cited the favourable conditions of 2017 and the healthy markets of the last nine years as examples of trends that often end abruptly before […]
While saving for retirement is an incredibly long journey, visualizing the entire process is a great way to get to better outcomes, according to Neil Walton, head of investment solutions at Schroder Investment Management Ltd. “Start with the end in mind,” Walton told participants at Benefits Canada’s Defined Contribution Plan Summit. “That means reviewing projected […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has completed a second round of investing in its Indian-based joint strategic investment platform with the Phoenix Mills Ltd. The $185 million round of financing brings the CPPIB’s total investment in the project to $328 million and a 49 per cent stake in the platform, which aims to develop, own and […]
The OPSEU Pension Trust and partners are investing an additional one billion euros in Globalvia, an international infrastructure concession management company based in Madrid, Spain. Alongside Dutch pension fund Stichting Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn (PGGM) and Britain’s Universities Superannuation Scheme, the OPTrust manages 27 projects in eight countries — Andorra, Chile, Costa Rica, Ireland, Mexico, Portugal, Spain […]
A 9.7 per cent net return for 2017 has helped the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan report a funded status of 105 per cent in its annual report. Among the highlights of the report was the plan’s intention to use its funding surplus as a contingency fund to support the long-term goal of maintaining steady contribution and benefit […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is acquiring six Canadian wind and solar power projects from Florida-based NextEra Energy Partners for $741 million. The projects includes two wind and four solar operations in Ontario with a total capacity of 369 megawatts. Under the transaction, affiliates of NextEra Energy will continue to manage the projects’ operations. “This opportunity to […]
The Ontario Pension Board posted a return of 10.8 per cent in 2017, an increase on its return of 8.1 per cent in 2016. The pension fund’s investment income for the year was $2.5 billion, up from $1.75 billion in 2016. Its net assets were $26.4 billion, an increase from the end of 2016 when they sat at $24.4 […]
The infrastructure arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System is a acquiring a Texas-based wind power company. As part of a deal announced on Thursday, OMERS will buy Leeward Renewable Energy, which operates 19 wind-power projects across the United States with an installed total capacity of 1.7 gigawatts. “On behalf of OMERS Infrastructure, we are very […]
With markets showing signs of potential extreme volatility in recent weeks, how can employers address the many questions that arise from pension plan members? When speaking to members, consultants usually emphasize advice on asset allocation based on age and risk tolerance. Many members aren’t honest in their responses, often overstating their tolerance for risk because markets are typically on the rise. […]