The current uncertainty around tariffs and trade policy is dominating institutional investors’ macro view of fixed income, said Alexander M. Mackey, co‐chief investment officer of fixed income at MFS Investment Management, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2025 Risk Management Conference. To reduce the noise of the uncertainty, his day-to-day focus is dominated […]
As employers and employees grapple with inflation, political turbulence and an economic slowdown, consultants are stepping up to offer support. That uncertainty also extends to broader business operations. Companies in the automotive and steel industries are particularly impacted by the tariffs, but many other sectors remain unsure of what the future holds more generally. The […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan posted a 1.6 per cent return during the second quarter of 2025, an increase from the 1.1 per cent return seen during the previous quarter, according to a new report by the Royal Bank of Canada Investor Services. The report attributed the quarterly returns to a strong enough […]
An uneasy economic landscape between Canada and the U.S. is pushing the University Pension Plan to perform more stress testing for new and existing investments south of the border, says chief investment officer Aaron Bennett. “It also makes us think a lot more about global inflation and how should we be thinking about [it] in […]
The cost of doing business under the current U.S. administration is getting more expensive and uncertain, said Cliff Kupchan, chairman at Eurasia Group, during the keynote session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2025 Global Investment Conference. Firms are operating under an increasingly uncertain investment climate in the U.S., he said, noting many of his organization’s […]
The move towards a core-plus mindset, first-time major allocations to stand-alone credit strategies and a focus on less liquid assets are the top trends in credit among institutional investors, according to Andrzej Skiba, managing director and head of U.S. fixed income on the BlueBay fixed income team at RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc., speaking during […]
A decision by the Bank of Canada to hold its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.75 per cent could magnify the interest of corporate pension funds to pursue de-risking strategies, says Soami Kohly, fixed income portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management. “We’ve seen [institutional investors] that have been de-risking their portfolio — in other words, […]
Canadian employers in sectors that have been hardest hit by the U.S. trade war can support employees’ mental and financial wellness by communicating clearly about the potential impact and available benefits and resources. A recent survey of 400 Canadian employers by Mercer Canada found while half (48 per cent) of all respondents are still determining […]
The Saskatchewan Pension Plan is reassuring plan members its asset mix is designed to withstand shifts stemming from global disruptions and economic uncertainty. In a new note to members, the $829-million pension fund said recent developments are creating significant economic uncertainty, with potential for higher inflation, slower growth and greater market volatility. Read: Institutional investors […]
Under unprecedented economic volatility, institutional investors are leaning on diversified asset mixes that are less reliant on public markets, says Claude St-Laurent, principal of pension and savings at Normandin Beaudry. He notes institutional investors are more frequently pushing beyond traditional equities and bonds to incorporate real estate, infrastructure and other alternative assets. Indeed, in the […]