ETF – Benefits Canada.com

Attracted by liquidity, institutional investors broadening use of ETFs

mdunne — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 15:01:45 +0000

Last spring, when fixed income markets in Canada were especially hard hit, exchange-traded funds proved their ability to continue to deliver liquidity, according to speakers at a recent webinar hosted by the Association of Canadian Pension Management. That lesser-known benefit is contributing to a change in the way institutional investors are using ETFs. “We basically saw […]

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Is gold really a good hedge for inflation?

mschmit — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 11:15:33 +0000

Since the mid-1970s, gold prices have increased in periods when investors were concerned about future inflation. Currently, gold prices are near highs comparable to January 1980, when concerns about stagflation were prevalent, and to August 2011, during widespread concerns about the impacts of quantitative easing. A new paper by Claude Erb, a retired managing director […]

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BBB-rated corporate bonds representing larger part of Canadian market

mschmit — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 02:37:25 +0000

BBB-rated corporate bonds are becoming a bigger part of the Canadian market, according to an analysis by FTSE Russell. In particular, at the end of January 2020, the FTSE Canada one- to 10-year corporate BBB bond index had 326 issuers, representing $141.1 million in market cap, which translates to 29 per cent of the FTSE […]

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What’s the role of the proxy advisor as rules shift?

mschmit — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 05:00:09 +0000

As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission moves to increase its oversight over proxy voting advisory firms, Horizons ETFs is evolving its proxy voting policies to take on a more socially responsible investing position. “We do have an obligation to our unit-holders to act in their best fiduciary interest, but we also have a socially responsible requirement as […]

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In a negative yield world, is gold ready for a comeback?

mschmit — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 05:15:27 +0000

During the past decade’s bull market, gold has been largely off the radar for institutional investors. But as key bond yields turn negative, among other recessionary signals, chatter about the commodity is heating up. “All precious metals have no correlation to the rest of the marketplace so that tends to be why gold and precious […]

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Mercer, Wealthsimple launch online savings, investment tool

mschmit — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 04:45:31 +0000

Mercer and Wealthsimple Inc. are teaming up to create a digital saving and investing platform for Canadian employees. Mercer Invest Wise, which is a voluntary savings tool, is intended to be included in a total rewards package. Accessible online and as a mobile app, it allows employees to manage various savings and investment accounts, such as their […]

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Institutional ETF themes to watch in 2019

mschmit — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:35:16 +0000

While the bull market may not be over, more headwinds are on the way for U.S. equity markets over the next year — one of the themes investors can use exchange-traded funds to capture, according to a report by BMO Global Asset Management. Overall, the U.S. market should see moderate upside for the year, said Brian […]

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Navigating the trend towards passive investing

mschmit — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 04:56:58 +0000

The majority of global pension plans believe the rise of passive investment funds is a foundational change in how they now manage their portfolios, recognizing that both active and passive allocations are necessary, according to a 2018 survey by British firm CREATE-Research. Faced with this trend, the financial services industry must demonstrate the benefits of […]

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World’s first marijuana ETF reaches $1 billion AUM

mschmit — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 06:04:02 +0000

Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.’s marijuana life sciences index exchange-traded fund has reached $1 billion in assets under management. Indicated by the ticker symbol HMMJ, the fund is the first and largest of its kind to offer direct exposure to marijuana-related North American-listed companies as a cohesive index, according to a news release. Since it was […]

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Is it time for institutional investors to consider the cannabis sector?

mschmit — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 04:57:25 +0000

As the Canadian cannabis industry blazes a path of growth in the run-up to October’s legalization, so does the number of related publicly listed stocks trading on North America’s largest indexes. Getting in on the action, some of Canada’s public pension funds are starting to look for exposure to cannabis companies, according to a report […]

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