Market expansion in 2021 is a priority among Canada’s defined contribution pension consultants, according to a new survey by PIMCO Canada. The inaugural survey, conducted across 12 major DC consulting and advisory firms that serve roughly 2,500 Canadian plan sponsor clients, found up-market expansion and down-market expansion in 2021 were the top strategic priorities among […]
The solvency status of Canada’s defined benefit pension plans dipped for the first time this year in July, according to a new report by Lifeworks Inc. The monthly pension indices report found the average Canadian DB pension plan saw its solvency ratio dip to 108.7, down 0.6 from the previous month. This is the first […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is acquiring a British power provider that specializes in the use of low-carbon technologies. Green Frog Power Ltd., which builds and operates power stations throughout the U.K., is working toward a long-term goal of bringing hydrogen gas into the country’s existing gas distribution network. The acquisition comes as GFP […]
In an open letter, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak are calling on the U.K.’s institutional investors to follow the lead of Canadian and Australian pension funds by making more long-term, illiquid investments. “Currently global investors, including pension funds from Canada and Australia, are benefitting from the opportunities that U.K. […]
More than half (59 per cent) of expatriate employees want employers to prioritize physical well-being when constructing or choosing health-care packages and benefits, according to a new survey by Aetna Inc. The survey, which polled 1,000 expats from Germany, Mexico, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, also found that those with children aged 16 and under favoured […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is appointing Sharon Chilcott as its inaugural chief of staff. Chilcott, who now serves as a managing director and associate general counsel, will take up the newly created executive position position on Sept. 1. In the role, she’ll report to the Ontario Teachers’ president and chief executive officer and will be […]
More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of registered defined benefit pensions plans in Ontario have solvency ratios above 100 per cent, according to the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s second quarterly update. The report found average funded ratios were up for the fifth consecutive quarter, with the median funded ratio reaching 106 per cent […]
The British Columbia Investment Management Corp. is selling its interest in a window covering company. The BCI and its co-owner AEA Investors Ltd. signed a definitive agreement to sell Springs Window Fashions to Clearlake Capital Group. Under the terms of the deal, Springs’ chief executive Eric Jungbluth will continue to lead the company following the transfer of […]
The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System is a part owner of a European medical diagnostics supply business. The OMERS has acquired 37.5 per cent of the Germany-based Amedes Group from Antin Infrastructure Partners. The investment is the Ontario-based plan’s fourth infrastructure investment in Germany. The Amedes Group, which specializes in medical testing, operates more than […]
Canadian defined benefit pension plans returned 4.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2021, according to RBC Investor & Treasury Services’ latest all-plan universe. The report found average Canadian DB pension plan returns grew by 0.9 percentage points over the previous quarter, from 3.5 per cent to 4.4 per cent. It also noted the […]