While real estate has long been a part of defined benefit pension plans’ asset allocations, its inclusion in investment portfolios has steadily climbed in recent years. But defined contribution plan sponsors and members also stand to benefit from the asset class’ inflation-hedging properties, as well as its ability to boost income and improve portfolio diversification. Pension […]
The first issue of Benefits Canada hit the desks of the country’s human resources, benefits, pension and investment professionals in 1977, four years before I was born. That same year, Canada’s inflation rate was eight per cent, very close to July 2022’s annualized inflation rate of 7.6 per cent. A lot has changed in 45 […]
The Adirondack 46ers isn’t for the faint of heart — joining the club requires hiking 250 kilometres to reach the top of the 46 highest peaks in New York state. “What did it take? Perseverance, training and an ability to remain focused on an objective that is far away,” says François Quinty, director of investment […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is investing US$450 million in a digital infrastructure provider. DataBank Ltd. operates a portfolio of 74 data centres in France, the U.K. and the U.S. Its facilities are used by commercial clients across a range of sectors. According to a press release, the investment is part of a strategy to […]
The real estate arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is appointing Julian Neave as the director of its London office. As the first director of the office, Neave will report to Jenny Hammarlund, managing director and head of Europe at Cadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd. Another new hire, Christopher Lankin, is joining the investment organization […]
Global institutional investors are overlooking climate-related opportunities in Africa, according to a new report by independent non-profit research group the Climate Policy Initiative. “The private sector needs to step up,” wrote the authors of the report. “It contributed only 14 per cent (US$4.2 billion) of total climate finance in Africa, much lower than in other […]
In 2022, normal was supposed to make a comeback — it didn’t. Just as supply chains began to stabilize, war broke out in Europe, China invaded Taiwan’s waters, inflation skyrocketed and central banks began hiking interest rates. While investments in renewable energy infrastructure reached new highs, economies that had been moving away from fossil fuels […]
Alongside a potential recession and lower global economic growth looming in 2023, defined benefit pension plan sponsors have several tools to minimize the impact of rising inflation, said Eric Menzer, senior portfolio manager and global head of outsourced chief investment officer and fiduciary solutions and multi-asset solutions at Manulife Investment Management, during a session at […]
Renewable energy assets can offer a lot to institutional investors’ portfolios, serving to lower risk opportunities over the long term compared to traditional energy assets while providing similar returns, said Saad Qais, head of U.S. asset management at Greencoat Capital, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2022 Risk Management Conference. This is true […]
As institutional investors increasingly turn to private markets in their investment strategies, a holistic approach is required to understand the opportunity set and optimize exposure, said Darren Spencer, director and client portfolio manager of alternative investments at Russell Investments, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Risk Management Conference. Over the last 20 […]