Earlier this week, China’s parliament changed the country’s constitution to allow for current President Xi Jinping to remain in power indefinitely, rather than the traditional two five-year terms. Not since the days of Mao Zedong, the founder of the communist state, has a leader had the power to govern for longer than that. As Canadian pension plans increasingly […]
When Sears Canada Inc. announced it was going to liquidate its stores in 2017, the chain’s demise was a big concern for pension plan members worried about a big deficit in the company’s defined benefit plan. But also among the parties affected were some of Canada’s largest pension funds, which own more than two dozen […]
Datuk Ben Chan will be the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan’s regional managing director for the Asia-Pacific starting June 1, 2018. “I am thrilled to welcome Ben to the Ontario Teachers’. I am sure that he will make an immediate contribution to our activities, given his long track record as an impactful investor and supportive collaborator […]
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is taking an equity stake in Learning Care Group Inc. The Michigan-based company focuses on childcare and education for children ages six through 12, with 900 schools in the U.S. and internationally. “Our investment in Learning Care Group is a great example of our strategy to back market-leading businesses […]
When it comes to environmental, social and governance factors, investors are confronted by an alphabet soup of acronyms that can make it tough to determine which tools to use. But Meg Starr, vice-president at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, says investors need to be clear about their objectives first and foremost and understand they don’t have to sacrifice […]
With global growth improving, interest rates continued to increase in 2017, particularly in Canada and the United States. Many believe the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise rates three times in 2018, dragging the Bank of Canada along with it. On March 8, 2018, the 10-year benchmark bond sat at 2.37 per cent, which hardly represents a […]
The OPSEU Pension Trust posted a 9.5 per cent return for 2017, an increase on its six per cent return in 2016 and its eight per cent return in 2015. “We were strong across all the asset classes,” says Hugh O’Reilly, president and chief executive officer of OPTrust, noting the fund saw a 22.9 per cent return in public equities […]
The median solvency ratio for Canadian defined benefit pension plans dropped slightly in February as equity markets stalled, falling to 99.8 per cent from 101.3 per cent in January, according to Aon’s monthly survey. January’s solvency ratio was the highest since 2002, noted the survey. However, nearly half (49.6 per cent) of plans were more than fully funded […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has sold a majority interest in Heartland Dental to global investment firm KKR & Co. The pension fund acquired a majority position in the U.S.-based dental support organization in 2012 and has seen a 126 per cent increase in supported practice revenues since that time, according to a news release. The Ontario […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan posted a 10.88 per cent return for 2017, up very slightly on its 10.4 per cent return in 2016 and exceeding its portfolio benchmark by 2.99 per cent or $2 billion. According to the pension fund’s annual results, it also maintained its funded status at 122 per cent, its investment […]