The market value of assets held by Canadian trusteed pension funds fell to $1.77 trillion in the third quarter of 2017, down from $1.8 trillion in the second quarter, according to new data from Statistics Canada. While the figure was down 0.6 per cent compared to the previous quarter, it was up three per cent from the […]
Eighty per cent of global institutional investors were invested in alternative assets in 2017 and more than half (52 per cent) were invested in three or more alternative asset classes, according to new research by Preqin Ltd. The asset classes with the highest engagement in 2017 were real estate (59 per cent) and private equity (58 per cent), […]
In their constant search for diversification, Canada’s largest pension funds seem to be continually restructuring their Canadian office building portfolios. “The goal has been to redeploy their investments by expanding internationally and developing new class A office buildings in Canada as well,” says Ayres Gonsalves, vice-president of commercial at Dorsay Development Corp., a Toronto-based real estate […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec returned 9.3 per cent in 2017, an increase on its return of 7.6 per cent in 2016. While announcing the annual results on Wednesday, Michael Sabia, president and chief executive officer of the Caisse, said the portfolio reacted almost exactly as forecasted. He also highlighted the important transition period […]
The OPSEU Pension Trust and partners are launching an investment vehicle that focuses on North American data centres. Formed alongside Mount Elbert Capital Partners and GIC Private Ltd., the pension fund’s new platform, EdgeCore Internet Real Estate, will receive initial capitalization of US$800 million to develop, acquire and operate data centres with an eye to eventually supporting $2 […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board saw a net increase of $8.9 billion in assets during the final quarter of 2017, bringing its total to $337.1 billion. “Exceptional performance across public equity markets internationally during the third quarter helped bring the CPP fund to a new high in line with our dual focus on total, as […]
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board has appointed Neil Cunningham as president and chief executive officer. Cunningham joined the Montreal-based pension fund in June 2004 as vice-president of real estate investments. He became senior vice-president and global head of real estate in 2015 and took on oversight of the natural resources team in 2016. “Neil Cunningham has been a […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is taking part in a consortium set to enter a partnership agreement with Thomson Reuters Corp. The consortium, led by the Blackstone Group and including GIC Private Ltd., will hold 55 per cent of the equity of a new corporation that will hold Thomson Reuters’ financial and risk business. Thomson Reuters […]
Ivanhoé Cambridge, the real estate investment arm of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, has announced a $60-million investment to enhance the Laurier Québec shopping mall in Quebec City. Laurier Québec holds a dominant position in the region, and we are very pleased to invest in its modernization,” said Claude Sirois, president of retail at Ivanhoé […]
Canada’s economic boom in 2017 surprised economists and supported strong labour numbers. Yet, inflation also remained dormant, “which created this Goldilocks environment and, therefore, very strong financial market returns for the year,” says Luc de la Durantaye, the head of asset allocation and currency management at CIBC Asset Management Inc. That won’t be the case […]