The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is revealing details of how environmental, social and governance factors are used alongside traditional financial analysis in its investment strategy. According to its first standalone report on ESG integration, the AIMCo first screens potential investments against exclusion guidelines set forth by each of its clients, a group that includes nine […]
Nearly two-thirds of institutional investors say they’re planning to increase their allocations to real assets over the next two years, amid a backdrop of inflation and sustainability challenges, according to a survey by Aviva Investors. The survey, which polled 500 institutional investors from around the world, found nearly half (47 per cent) said they have […]
A bill intended to provide defined benefit pension plan members with super-priority should be a major concern for Canadian DB plan sponsors, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest monthly pension indices report. “While the goal of [Bill C-228] is to protect the pensions of members and retirees in the event of a company’s insolvency, it could […]
Institutional investors’ best laid plans sometimes go awry — especially following global pandemics. During a presentation at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Risk Management Conference, Marc Gauthier, treasurer and chief investment officer at Concordia University, said the dramatic events shaping the world in the past two years have challenged the university’s carefully designed investment model. […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada is providing feedback on the Alberta government’s consultation draft of potential legislative and policy updates for private sector pension laws. While the PIAC doesn’t have specific views on how to calculate the provision for adverse deviation, it’s encouraged Alberta is considering a harmonized approach, wrote Sean Hewitt, chair of […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada is providing feedback on the International Sustainability Standard Board’s exposure drafts on disclosure of financial information pertaining to sustainability and climate change. In an open letter responding to a consultation by the ISSB, the PIAC said while it supports the ISSB’s decision to build upon existing reporting frameworks — […]
The University Pension Plan is rolling out a new climate strategy that aims to make its portfolio carbon neutral by 2040. “I’m proud that we’ve set an ambition consistent with the challenge we face,” says Brian Minns (pictured), managing director of responsible investing at the UPP. “We’re going to deliver on our investment returns in […]
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities is seeking feedback on three risk management guidelines. The guidelines will cover pension plans’ use of leverage, cyber risks and environmental, social and governance considerations. In a letter to stakeholders, the CAPSA said it may incorporate these guidelines into a single risk management document that will also cover […]
“We all know the basic premise — that assets with more risk should generally be compensated with higher returns. The more risk you take, the more return you should expect. The empirical reality is that isn’t really true,” said Treacy, an institutional portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments Inc., during his session. He argued that the […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing $100 million in a subscription commerce platform company. The investment in AppDirect Capital will be used to accelerate the growth of the AppSmart Invest program, a recently launched business-facing online technology marketplace that connects buyers with expert advisors. The marketplace is designed to help subscribing […]