government bonds – Benefits Canada.com

Quantitative easing windup, inflation likely to benefit pension plans: expert

Gideon Scanlon — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 17:45:45 +0000

The end of Canada’s quantitative easing strategy and higher than expected interest rates will be beneficial to Canadian defined benefit pension plans, according to Sebastien Betermier, an associate professor of finance at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management. On Wednesday, Tiff Macklem, governor of the Bank of Canada, announced plans to end its quantitative easing policy and […]

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Pensions in position to off load risks: expert

Gideon Scanlon — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 17:00:02 +0000

“Plans are, for the first time in a long time, in a position to off-load risk,” says Murray Wright, one of the contributors to LifeWorks Inc.’s monthly report on Canadian pensions. According to Wright, the principal of retirement and financial solutions at LifeWorks, pension chief financial officers are paying particular attention to one number found […]

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How Canada’s pension funds are maximizing fixed income in a low interest rate environment

bwolfe — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 12:56:54 +0000

With bond returns tied to interest rates, it’s no surprise Canadian pension funds are increasingly seeking other ways to boost fixed income yields. Canadian interest rates have been trending downward for the last 30 years, from a high of 10.3 per cent in 1990 to around 1.75 per cent in early 2020, according to the […]

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Pension funds playing defence amid coronavirus crisis

mschmit — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 04:32:11 +0000

Despite several bumps in the decade since the 2008/09 financial crisis, the swift and brutal crash in global equity prices when the coronavirus was declared a pandemic sent pension investors reaching for their playbooks to implement defensive strategies to mitigate the damage. “People have worked very hard at just acting on the set strategies that […]

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FTSE Russell set to add Chinese government bonds to world government bond index

mschmit — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:54:32 +0000

Chinese government bonds are set to be included in the FTSE Russell world government bond index. The changes came off the back of the index provider’s latest country classification review, with the inclusion reflecting China’s ongoing progress toward market reforms and increased access for global investors, according to FTSE Russell. The inclusion is scheduled to […]

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In perfect balance: Different approaches to rebalancing pension portfolios

mschmit — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 03:53:16 +0000

The recent market turmoil caused by the coronavirus crisis has increased the focus on rebalancing decisions for many Canadian pension plans. As certain asset classes outperform others, a portfolio’s asset mix will drift overtime from its long-term targets. To ensure no significant divergence from the target, rebalancing triggers the sale of the strong performing asset […]

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What does Fitch’s downgrade of Canada mean for institutional investors?

mschmit — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 10:02:44 +0000

Since 2004, Canada has held a AAA rating from all major ratings agencies, but on June 24, it suffered a blow when Fitch Ratings Inc. downgraded the country to AA+. “The rating downgrade reflects the deterioration of Canada’s public finances in 2020 resulting from the coronavirus pandemic,” said the Fitch in a rating action commentary […]

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A coronavirus game plan for defined benefit pension plans

mschmit — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:23:49 +0000

The novel coronavirus has introduced unprecedented volatility to financial markets and is taking its toll on pension plans. We’ve seen sharp corrections in most equity markets. At its lowest point in the correction to date, the S&P 500 lost 34 per cent of its value, from its peak in February. The TSX, which has also […]

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Denmark’s ATP pension posts historic 26.9% net return

mschmit — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 05:30:26 +0000

Danish pension fund, the ATP Group, posted an eye-popping 26.9 per cent net return for its return-seeking investment portfolio in the first half of 2019. This compares to a net return of 2.7 per cent that the fund saw for the first half of 2018 and a negative net return of 3.2 per cent for […]

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Can yield spring eternal?

mschmit — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 04:56:34 +0000

Seasons Change — And So Do Markets

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