CIR news

Latest news in Investment Strategies

Vaccine news a shot in the arm for value investing

Vaccine news a shot in the arm for value investing

Now is the time for institutional investors to buy value, small cap and cyclical stocks and hold steady while the economy builds back, says Bill…

What do historically low interest rates mean for DB pension de-risking?

What do historically low interest rates mean for DB pension de-risking?

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, many organizations were focused on getting through the short term, but defined benefit pension plan sponsors are starting to take…

  • By: Yaelle Gang
  • October 23, 2020 January 19, 2021
  • 08:45
How pension plan sponsors can use demographic-focused investing

How pension plan sponsors can use demographic-focused investing

Over the last 40 years, the demographics of pension plan membership have changed drastically, said Michael Augustine, managing director and head of asset-liability management at…

  • By: Yaelle Gang
  • October 19, 2020 January 19, 2021
  • 15:15
Chris Brown

Expecting the unexpected at Alberta’s Local Authorities Pension Plan

The Local Authorities Pension Plan is in an interesting situation. Historically, the president of the Alberta Treasury Board and the minister of finance was the…

CPPIB formally sets out ESG expectations for portfolio companies

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has formally outlined its expectations for portfolio companies when it comes to environmental, social and governance issues in a…

  • By: Staff
  • September 29, 2020 November 16, 2020
  • 15:00

Is gold really a good hedge for inflation?

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…

  • By: Staff
  • September 28, 2020 November 16, 2020
  • 15:15

CFA Institute examining how financial sector can help mitigate climate change

The Chartered Financial Analyst Institute is looking to more deeply examine the financial industry’s role in mitigating climate change. In a new report, the CFA…

  • By: Staff
  • September 25, 2020 November 16, 2020
  • 15:15

Legal analysis suggests CPPIB not doing enough to transition to lower-carbon assets

The Canada Climate Law Initiative is calling into question whether the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is sufficiently aligning its investments with the transition to…

  • By: Staff
  • September 18, 2020 November 17, 2020
  • 09:20

How can organizations make meaningful improvements to diversity and inclusion?

In 2019, International Women’s Day was a significant event at the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan because it prompted the launch of…

  • By: Yaelle Gang
  • September 18, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 08:31

ILN launches toolkit to help institutional investors assess decarbonization scenario analysis disclosures

The Investor Leadership Network has published a new report that includes practical tools to help investors understand and assess companies’ climate-related scenario analysis disclosures. Investors…

  • By: Staff
  • September 18, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 07:58

RIA inviting institutional investors to sign diversity, inclusion statement

The Responsible Investment Association is creating a statement on diversity and inclusion and inviting Canadian institutional investors to sign on. The initial signatories of the statement, which is…

  • By: Staff
  • September 17, 2020 November 17, 2020
  • 08:45

Considerations for integrating ESG into fixed income

Environmental, social and governance factors are highly relevant to fixed income investment outcomes, but integration is complicated by the variety of issuers within the asset…

  • By: Kelsey Rolfe
  • September 16, 2020 November 17, 2020
  • 09:45

PIAC disputes recommendation for further regulation of proxy advisory firms

The Pension Investment Association of Canada took issue with some of the recommendations drafted by Ontario’s capital markets modernization task force, specifically those related to…

  • By: Staff
  • September 16, 2020 December 5, 2020
  • 07:46

What investing concerns are keeping pension plan sponsors up at night?

Real estate, a long-time stable, returns-generating asset class for pension plans, may no longer be as solid due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “A…

  • By: Kelsey Rolfe
  • September 11, 2020 February 23, 2021
  • 10:30

Bâtirente sets new climate commitments for 2025

Acknowledging that the multi-faceted causes and consequences of climate change call for different methods, Quebec-based pension fund Bâtirente is publishing a new climate commitment. “Effectively…

  • By: Staff
  • September 10, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 09:19
Plan Sponsor Week: HOOPP looking to LDI strategy 2.0 amid low interest rates

Plan Sponsor Week: HOOPP looking to LDI strategy 2.0 amid low interest rates

The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan is well-known for its liability-driven investing strategy, which helped it successfully weather the 2008 financial crisis. During the coronavirus…

Plan Sponsor Week: DB benefits for DC members at Halifax Port ILA/HEA pension plan

Plan Sponsor Week: DB benefits for DC members at Halifax Port ILA/HEA pension plan

The Halifax Port ILA/HEA found a way to provide its defined contribution pension plan members with a defined benefit upon retirement — and it’s been…

21393506-123RF

In perfect balance: Different approaches to rebalancing pension portfolios

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…

Is it time for an asset-strategy check-up?

At the time of my last column in May, many pension plan sponsors were catching their breath after watching funding levels take a roller coaster…

CFA Institute proposing industry standards for ESG disclosure

CFA Institute proposing industry standards for ESG disclosure

The CFA Institute is calling out the lack of clarity and standardization around environmental, social and governance investment products. In a consultation paper, the organization…

  • By: Staff
  • August 24, 2020 November 30, 2020
  • 08:45
CPPIB paper highlights four post-coronavirus habits to impact investment portfolios

CPPIB paper highlights four post-coronavirus habits to impact investment portfolios

Four types of new habits and perspectives are expected to define the post-coronavirus era and could impact investment portfolios, according to new analysis by Thinking…

  • By: Staff
  • August 20, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 15:00
144451839-123RF

New research finds asset owners largely satisfied with pandemic performance

The vast majority of investors (82 per cent) are satisfied with how their portfolios performed in the first half of 2020, despite some weak results…

  • By: Les Marton
  • August 18, 2020 December 6, 2020
  • 07:43
Head to head: What shape will global economic recovery take?

Head to head: What shape will global economic recovery take?

As the global economy slogs through one of the most dire situations in living memory, some predict it will bounce right back to its old…

UBC faculty pension plan offers fossil fuel-free investment option

UBC faculty pension plan offers fossil fuel-free investment option

Over the last several years, a small group of faculty members at the University of British Columbia has been calling on its pension plan’s board…

Bloomberg launching proprietary ESG scores

Bloomberg launching proprietary ESG scores

Institutional investors looking to score potential investments on environmental, social and governance factors now have a new option. Bloomberg is launching its own set of ESG…

  • By: Staff
  • August 13, 2020 November 11, 2020
  • 08:45