When analyzing the likelihood of a trade war means keeping one eye on Twitter, the global backdrop for risk becomes more troubling. “You definitely start by taking that global temperature — looking at growth, inflation, interest rates, commodity prices, currencies, event risk,” says Rob Hall, institutional portfolio manager on the emerging markets debt team at […]
Global market volatility drove Canadian defined benefit pension plans’ median returns lower in the second quarter of 2019, according to BNY Mellon Asset Management Canada Ltd. and RBC Investor and Treasury Services. Among the 84 Canadian corporate, public and university pension plans in BNY Mellon’s tracking service, the quarterly return was just 2.34 per cent, compared to […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Australian superannuation fund AustralianSuper are investing up to US$1 billion each in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund of India’s master fund. The agreement includes US$250 million from each pension fund, as well as investment rights of up to US$750 million each for ongoing opportunities alongside the master fund. In addition, the […]
Global protectionism appears to be here for the long game. While investors may not want to start playing defence just yet, it might be time to start practicing again. In it’s mid-year outlook, the BlackRock Investment Institute noted risk reduction, including elevating the levels of cash in a portfolio, would be a prudent measure given the […]
In Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, pension funds are increasing their exposure to equities at the expense of fixed income, according to a new report by Mercer. In aggregate, over the five-year measurement period, average allocations to equities for the growth markets covered by the report rose eight percentage points to 40 per […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is facing pressure to divest from companies allegedly tied to human rights abuses in China. “I have constituents of mine who’ve come to see me over the past few weeks because they have family members who have been interned,” said Conservative MP Tom Kmiec at the House of Commons finance […]
Since standard banks began to shy away from their traditional financing role after the 2008 financial crisis, institutional investors have helped maintain markets by becoming increasingly important providers of long-term capital. Historically low interest rates also pushed these sovereign wealth and pension funds away from the traditional fixed income bedrock of their portfolios into a bevy […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is selling its stake in BluEarth Renewables Inc. to DIF Infrastructure V, a European independent infrastructure fund. The Ontario Teachers’ was a founding shareholder in BluEarth, an independent renewable power producer that builds, owns and operates solar, hydro and wind facilities in North America. Following the sale, DIF V will own […]
With global equities rebounding after a volatile end to 2018, Canadian defined benefit pension plans posted positive returns in the first quarter of 2019, according to new data by Northern Trust Corp. The Northern Trust Canada Universe, which tracks the performance of Canadian institutional investment plans using the firm’s asset servicing offerings, found Canadian plans posted a median […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and French utility company Engie are buying a combined 90 per cent stake in Brazilian oil and gas transportation network company Transportadora Associada de Gás S.A. for US$8.6 billion. The new arrangement, which gives Engie a 58.5 per cent stake in TAG and the Caisse the remaining 31.5 per cent, was the result […]