A rally on the stock market in the fourth quarter helped boost the strength of Canadian defined benefit pension plans to end 2020, according to a new report by Mercer Canada. The consulting firm said its pension health index, which represents the solvency ratio of a hypothetical DB plan, rose to 114 per cent at […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing an additional US$1 billion in Invenergy Renewables, a developer and operator of wind and solar projects across North America. The commitment, in the form of new investment facilities, will support Invenergy’s expanded development activities and continued growth, according to a press release. The Caisse began […]
Central banks slowing their quantitative easing policies and economic improvements off the back of wide-scale vaccination efforts should both provide bond yields with a modest boost in 2021. But that won’t give defined benefit pension plan sponsors much relief. “You hear the phrase ‘low for long’ and I would agree we’re in an extended period […]
Quebec-based pension fund Bâtirente has reduced the carbon footprint of its equities by more than 22 per cent of its benchmark portfolios, according to the fund’s latest analysis. It also found that as of Dec. 31, 2019, the fund’s carbon footprint was down 12 per cent from the previous year, due to improved equity selections […]
Despite several bumps in the decade since the 2008/09 financial crisis, the swift and brutal crash in global equity prices when the coronavirus was declared a pandemic sent pension investors reaching for their playbooks to implement defensive strategies to mitigate the damage. “People have worked very hard at just acting on the set strategies that […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Hudson Pacific Properties Inc. are purchasing an office tower in Seattle for US$625 million. The property is 98 per cent leased with Amazon.com Inc. occupying a majority of the building. It’s the latest investment in Seattle real estate by the partnership, which also jointly owns the nearby Hill7 office tower. “We’re pleased […]
As far back as the beginning of civilization, centralized ledgers have been the answer to solving trust issues, said Michael Casey, chief content officer at CoinDesk, in a keynote presentation during the Canadian Investment Review’s Investment Innovation Conference in November. The first form of writing ever recorded was a ledger on a Sumerian tablet dating […]
After the global financial crisis, securitized credit was left with a bad reputation, but it may be time for investors to look at how the asset class has changed and the opportunities it offers, says Noah Funderburk, vice-president and portfolio manager at Amundi Pioneer. At its essence, securitized credit is a fixed income security with […]
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Aviva Investors are jointly funding a new office building in Cambridge, England. The six-storey building has been fully pre-let to a flexible workspace provider, according to a press release that noted construction is expected to be completed in 2023. It’s the latest investment in Cambridge real estate by […]
The Toronto Transit Commission Pension Fund Society has been reminded of the importance of liquidity during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Sean Hewitt, the fund’s chief executive officer, during a virtual roundtable hosted by the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute on Thursday. “COVID-19 was a really interesting test study in liquidity,” he said, noting the TTC plan […]