During the global financial crisis, certain real estate funds were suspended because of liquidity constraints, but during the coronavirus downturn, it’s valuation uncertainty that’s causing suspensions, says Steve Marino, senior vice-president of portfolio management at Great-West Life Realty Advisors Inc, a subsidiary of the Canada Life Assurance Co. On March 20, 2020, Canada Life announced […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario reached $70.3 billion in assets under management at the end of 2019, up from $63.3 billion at the end of 2018. In its latest annual report, the organization, which manages assets for certain broader public sector institutions, shared its growth in assets under management, but didn’t report its 2019 investment returns. “It’s important […]
Global institutional investors say they intend to gently reduce their average new capital commitments to real estate in 2020. According to a new report by Institutional Real Estate Inc. and Kingsley Associates, survey respondents said they’re reducing their new spend by an average of 11 per cent this year. Notably, the survey was conducted between Nov. 12, […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, alongside Dutch pension fund ASG and asset manager ESR Cayman Ltd., has entered into a new strategic agreement to establish a new development joint venture in South Korea with a total equity allocation of US$1 billion. The joint venture, ESR-KS II, will invest in and develop an industrial and […]
While the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on many asset classes, institutional investors in real estate face a unique set of challenges. Firstly, the shutdown of non-essential businesses has put many tenants in a position where they can’t afford rent, forcing their investor landlords to decide how to react. Institutional investors are […]
The world may be more digital than ever, but a physical presence can still sometimes make the difference between success and failure for pension plans For the OPSEU Pension Trust, establishing offices abroad was a logical step. Its private markets group, which is based in Toronto, was undertaking a lot of global investment activity, so […]
Anxiety is running high for many Canadians who are feeling the immediate financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic due to job losses, reduced work hours and significant declines in investment portfolios. But some may also feel unease if they can’t access money from specific funds within their defined contribution pension plan. “Right now, we’re aware […]
Anxiety is running high for many Canadians who are feeling the immediate financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic due to job losses, reduced work hours and significant declines in investment portfolios. But some may also feel unease if they can’t access money from specific funds within their defined contribution pension plan. “Right now, we’re aware […]
Despite the key differences between sovereign wealth funds and public pension plans, the two institutional investors are quite similar in that they’re large, state-owned, sophisticated pools of capital. However, on average, the two types of organizations approach their real estate investments differently, according to a new paper by McKay Price, Collins-Goodman chair in real estate […]
Canada’s defined benefit plans have had a rough quarter. According to Aon’s median solvency ratio, DB plans fell to an average solvency of 89.1 per cent at the end of the first quarter, from 102.5 per cent at the end 2019. Mercer’s pension health index also dropped, from 112 per cent at the end of […]