“Everyone on stage agrees on one thing — [environmental, social and governance] integration is just smart,” said moderator Francisca Quinn, co-founder and president of Quinn and Partners Inc., during a panel at the 2023 Responsible Investment Association conference last week. She was joined by representatives of two Canadian public sector investment organizations with very different […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is appointing Kevin Bong as chief investment strategist and head of Singapore, effective Aug. 14. In the new role, he’ll be responsible for setting the investment organization’s overall investment strategy, including total portfolio management, dynamic and tactical allocation, currency and cash management, with a focus on geographic diversification and thematic […]
An article on American Express Canada’s onsite counselling service was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Amex Canada supporting employee well-being with onsite counselling, enhanced mental-health resources 2. Majority of millennial, gen Z workers more likely to stay with employers that provide benefits: […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is reporting an annual return of negative 3.4 per cent for 2022, citing declines in public equities and fixed income. The investment organization exceeded its benchmark by 1.8 per cent, with total client assets under management at $158 billion, according to a press release announcing its annual results. Read: AIMCo […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is revealing details of how environmental, social and governance factors are used alongside traditional financial analysis in its investment strategy. According to its first standalone report on ESG integration, the AIMCo first screens potential investments against exclusion guidelines set forth by each of its clients, a group that includes nine […]
An article on how the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is collaborating with insurers on suspected benefits fraud investigations was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. CLHIA working with insurers on suspected benefits fraud investigations 2. AIMCo closing gender equity gap through […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan and Bedford Capital are finalizing a deal to sell Edmonton-based Champion Petfoods to Ontario-based Mars Petcare Inc. Best known for its lines of confectionery products, including Mars Bars, M&Ms and Twix, Mars has built a significant portfolio of pet food brands. Following the transaction, Champion’s brands will be absorbed […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is investing in a new real estate fund focused on developing rental housing across the Greater Toronto Area. The Fitzrovia DevCore Fund, which is the first fund set up by Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc., targets properties close to public transit and proximate to major centres of employment in Toronto and […]
Marlene Puffer, chief investment officer of the Alberta Investment Management Corp., believes many public market asset classes are under-priced as a result of inflation and interest rate hikes in 2022. “The persistent rise in inflation caught many central banks off guard, forcing them to undertake the most aggressive interest rate hiking cycle seen in decades,” […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec received the highest mark in a report card grading the climate strategies of the 11 largest public pension investment organizations in Canada. The Caisse’s strategy, which received a B+ from Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health, was praised for including provisions to divest its portfolio […]