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 […]
Nova Scotia’s Public Service Superannuation Plan saw a 15.75 per cent return net of investment fees for the fiscal year 2020/21, generating $1 billion in total investment income. The plan’s funded status increased to 97.9 per cent at March 31, 2021, from 91.4 per cent the previous year. Its total net assets were about $7.2 […]
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 […]
As institutional investors seek portfolio diversification and the insurance industry seeks additional capacity amid global growth, investment strategies incorporating insurance-linked securities are providing a solution for both parties. Insurance-linked securities allow insurers to transfer some of their risk to investors. For example, in the case of catastrophe bonds, the issuer pays a coupon to an […]
Almost 16 months since the global coronavirus pandemic was first declared, there’s now yet another thing for institutional investors to worry about — the possibility of inflation. Lately, much has been made of the potential for inflation to emerge given sustained low interest rates and the large deficits that many governments have incurred due to […]
The value of assets held by Canadian trusteed pension funds increased to $2.2 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to new data from Statistics Canada. This was an increase of 4.7 per cent from the previous quarter, when the value of assets hit $2.12 trillion, and represents a 6.6 per cent year increase from […]
By encouraging employees to be their authentic selves at work, pension plans can make better investment decisions, says Adrian Mitchell, vice-president of public equities at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. “I think having some out LGBTQ people around demonstrates to everyone else it’s safe to be who you are. We’re going to make better […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is participating in a $225 million Series D funding round of AlayaCare, a Montreal-based at-home health-care software provider. The company’s artificial intelligence-based software is used by more than 500 health-care organizations around the world. In the past two years, it’s seen its U.S.-based business grow seven-times over. […]
Two executives at the Pennsylvania-based Public School Employees Retirement System have survived an effort by trustees to oust them from their positions due to investment underperformance. On June 11, PSERS’ executive director Glen Grell and chief investment officer James Grossman were spared being put to a vote of no confidence after the vote was removed […]
A number of Canadian institutional investors, including the British Columbia Investment Management Corp., the British Columbia Municipal Pension Plan, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and the Investment Management Corp. of Ontario, are among 457 signatories of a statement calling on governments around the globe to take accelerated action to combat the climate […]