A popular method for tracking a business’ carbon footprint over time creates the illusion of increased efficiency during periods of high inflation, warns Sudhir Roc-Sennett, head of environmental, social and governance at Vontobel Asset Management Inc. “The most consistent way [of analyzing an organizations’ carbon footprint] is looking at tons-per-sales units, usually the tons of […]
The world’s 500 largest asset managers’ total discretionary assets under management increased by 10.2 per cent in 2021, reaching US$131.7 trillion, according to a new report by WTW’s Thinking Ahead Institute. It found North American AUM accounted for more than half (59.9 per cent) of AUM in the top 500 managers, garnering $78.9 trillion by […]
When defined contribution plan sponsors conduct due diligence on target-date fund providers, they’re often considering questions of active versus passively managed funds, the benefits of glide paths that glide to versus through retirement, strategic versus tactical funds and a provider’s approach to environmental, social and governance investing. But according to Sarah Donahue, director of consultant […]
Rising interest rates and market turmoil have called into question the ability of core fixed income to provide pension plan sponsors with its traditional benefits of stable returns and income, diversification and capital preservation. But Kevin Minas, vice-president and client portfolio manager of global fixed income at CIBC Asset Management Inc., said he actually expects […]
The value of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan’s assets declined in September, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest monthly report. An investment portfolio designed to mimic typical Canadian DB portfolios saw its assets shrink by 2.8 per cent over the month. The value of the benchmark portfolio, which is composed of 50 per cent […]
As institutional investors increasingly turn to private markets in their investment strategies, a holistic approach is required to understand the opportunity set and optimize exposure, said Darren Spencer, director and client portfolio manager of alternative investments at Russell Investments, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Risk Management Conference. Over the last 20 […]
The use of a four-state probability model can more accurately predict stock market phases and improve investment and risk management decisions, said Tom McCurdy, professor of finance and Bonham chair in international finance at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2022 Risk Management Conference. The proposed model incorporates […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan’s projected benefit obligation fell 3.4 per cent during the third quarter of 2022, from 100.5 per cent to 97.2 per cent, and considerably faster than asset values, according to Aon’s latest pension risk tracker. While market volatility led to asset values decreasing by 0.1 per cent in the […]
About two-thirds (64 per cent) of global institutional investors say new ideas and access to top asset managers are the key benefits of hiring an outsourced chief investment officer, according to a new survey by London-based CoreData Research. The survey, which polled nearly 300 institutional investors in Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America, also found […]
Six of the leading Canadian pension asset managers are sharing details of their energy transition strategies in a new report by the Investor Leadership Network. The report, which highlights the complexity of climate transition investing, received contributions from the Alberta Investment Management Corp., the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Canada Pension Plan […]