The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is appointing Jonathan Hausman as senior managing director of its newly created global investment strategy department. The new department aims to provide the Ontario Teachers’ with a global competitive advantage by developing strategic responses to emerging themes affecting multiple asset classes and regions, according to a press release, which noted […]
It’s a welcome development that so many pension fund managers are increasingly preoccupied with the ethical implications of their investments and incorporating data to ensure that funds adhere to the environmental, social and governance criteria. Described by Mirza Baig, global head of ESG research and stewardship at Aviva Investors, as the “year ESG came of age,” 2020 saw record sustainable […]
Investors breathed a sigh of relief as they turned over their calendars at the end of 2020. Few were sorry to see the back of a turbulent year that drove nation after nation to their worst economic contractions in generations: over the course of 2020, the U.S. gross domestic product shrank around 3.5 per cent, […]
Institutional investors, regulators and financial standard organizations are calling on Canadian corporations to adopt transparent climate-risk reporting, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. The report noted corporate directors have the legal and fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of their companies in developing strategies to address climate-related financial risks […]
TC Energy Corp. is suspending work on the Keystone XL pipeline as a growing movement to divest from fossil fuels gains momentum. Just hours after his inauguration, U.S. President Joe Biden revoked the pipeline’s presidential permit, issued by his predecessor former President Donald Trump. The energy company had recently announced plans to decarbonize the pipeline and achieve net […]
With President-elect Joe Biden officially becoming the 46th U.S. president today, institutional investors are preparing for a return to traditional governance and increased market stability. While markets don’t often respond favourably to a change in administration, the return to “normality and transparency” in Biden’s policy and governing style will act as a counterbalance, says Matthew […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is appointing Nick Jansa as senior managing director for its Europe, Middle East and Africa markets. Jansa will be based in the London office and will report to Ziad Hindo, the pension fund’s chief investment officer. As a member of the investment executive team, Hindo will lead the investment activities […]
While institutional investors are facing headwinds from unexpected inflation and geopolitical realignment in 2021, the coming year will also see rebounds for corporate earnings and equities, according to two new research papers from Mercer. “Non-stop social and technological change has increased at a rate as exciting as it’s bewildering and COVID-19 has resulted in an […]
While there’s still a period of uncertainty ahead, the deployment of coronavirus vaccines is already having a positive effect on markets, according to a webinar hosted by FTSE Russell on Wednesday. In November, the global and U.S. equities markets saw double-digit returns following vaccine announcements by pharmaceutical firms Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and AstraZeneca, said […]
In search of better risk-adjusted returns, the York University Pension Fund decided to look beyond Canada’s borders, shifting its equity allocation to be 100 per cent global. The fund is a hybrid defined benefit and defined contribution plan, with the benefit level depending on the rate of return and a minimum guarantee for members. Its investments, […]