Asset classes – Benefits Canada.com

Pension funds increasing in-house asset management: survey

mschmit — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:00:55 +0000

Canada’s pension funds are shifting asset management functions in-house while becoming more strategic about oversight of external managers, according to a new survey from CIBC Mellon. It found pension funds are increasing the portion of assets and investment activities managed in-house to 28 per cent from 22 per cent, with the majority of pension funds […]

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Canada’s DB pension plans post 9.2% return in 2020

mschmit — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 11:00:37 +0000

Despite market uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic and a turbulent U.S. presidential election cycle, Canadian defined benefit pension plans ended the year with near double-digit gains, according to a report by RBC Investor & Treasury Services. Amid the once-in-a-century crisis, market returns in 2020 for retirement assets were 9.2 per cent, noted the report. […]

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What can we expect from fixed-income returns in 2021?

mschmit — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 05:24:54 +0000

This time last year, the FTSE Canadian universe bond index was yielding a paltry 2.3 per cent and few, if any, anticipated how strong fixed-income returns would be in 2020. Over the year, the index returned 8.7 per cent due to a significant drop in interest rates in the first half as the Bank of […]

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ESG influencing company strategy, increasing oil market vulnerability: reports

mschmit — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 05:00:52 +0000

Environmental, social and governance factors are continuing to influence company strategy, financing and operating environments in 2021, according to a new report by Fitch Ratings Inc. It found financial institutions will likely continue to enhance ESG due diligence and exclusionary policies to cover a broader set of ESG issues and entities, as the quality and […]

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CPPIB acquiring U.K. mall after owner fails to find buyer

mschmit — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 11:00:59 +0000

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s credit division is acquiring the Trafford Centre in Britain after the shopping mall’s owner failed to find a buyer. The CPPIB Credit Investments Inc. provided a £250-million loan in 2017 that was secured by an equity interest in the Trafford Centre. The mall was placed under protection from creditors […]

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How can plan sponsors work out the kinks in paramedical coverage?

mschmit — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 04:57:21 +0000

Historically, Epcor Utilities Inc. provided employees with $1,000 in annual coverage for each paramedical service, ranging from massage therapists, physiotherapists and chiropractors to speech therapists, naturopaths and dieticians. But in 2018, the Edmonton-based utilities company looked at its annual paramedical costs and found its massage therapy spend had ballooned to nearly match the cost of […]

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