Indexed or passive investing has grown in popularity over the last few decades, in part the consequence of occasionally disappointing results from active management, but equally due to the lower governance requirement and lower fees offered by passive management. Estimates suggest that approximately 20% of equity assets are passively managed globally. Traditionally, indices have been […]
Russell Investments has released new research in an attempt to broaden the active versus passive investing debate, outlining five key factors investors should consider when deciding which approach to take. “We take issue with the conduct of the active versus passive debate, which has made the mistake of framing the issue exclusively in terms of […]
North American and European pension funds are slowly moving toward actively run mandates due to falling fees and improving returns, according to a survey. bfinances’ second Global Fee Survey of 48 pension plans in Europe and North America finds respondents are looking favourably upon active managers due to their general performance of late as well […]
Public-private partnerships (P3s) for infrastructure projects are providing more cost-effective and rapid results compared with conventional procurement approaches, but they are not suitable in every situation, according to a report. The Conference Board of Canada’s study, Dispelling the Myths: A Pan-Canadian Assessment of Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Investments, assesses the performance of projects in the […]
After the turmoil of 2008 and 2009, hedge fund investors have learned to dread the “four horsemen.” That’s how Bernice Miedzinski, executive vice-president at Man Investments Canada characterizes the Bernie Madoff fraud and the Lehman Brothers collapse, which froze some hedge fund accounts, as well as the sub-prime meltdown, factors that along with falling markets, […]
Hedge fund managers—no strangers to upheaval since the outset of the global financial crisis—have a new reality to contend with, according to a recent survey. Far from shying away from the alternative asset class, many institutional investors are looking to increase allocations to hedge funds, but they are dictating the terms and demanding change as […]
1. Private Equity, Public Pain Private equity investments may be a small portion of most institutional investment portfolios, but many managers find themselves over-allocated in an illiquid asset class. It may be time to recap what has happened recently in the world of venture capitalists, mezzanine financiers and leveraged buyout experts. Read more 2. What […]
1. The true reason hedge funds performed so poorly in 2008 2008 was one of the worst years for equity markets, yet hedge funds did not provide the diversification benefit that was expected of them. What happened? Read more 2. Special report: Is SRI sustainable in a downturn? This package includes a compilation of stories […]
More than a year has now passed since the start of the “credit crisis”. While there are signs that global economies and markets have stabilized, there are some who believe all is not “normal” yet and risks remain to the financial system. What are these and what implications do they have for institutional investors? The […]
For an asset class largely held for patient, long-term returns, private equity is turning out to be as volatile on a monthly basis as the daily swings in the public stock markets. A year ago, the difference between closing an exit deal and failing to close a deal was a matter of days. By March, […]