The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing $60 million in the first round of a private equity fund created by BDG & Partners Financial Corp. The fund, which has so far raised $240 million, aims to acquire controlling interests of Canadian mid-sized companies operating in manufacturing, food, distribution and specialized services, according […]
Investment funds that are designed to entice Canadian institutional investors to allocate more capital in domestic assets could open up conversations regarding the most effective way to boost investments at home, says Colin Busby, director of policy engagement at the C.D. Howe Institute. In September, the Globe and Mail reported there was little interest among […]
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said the federal government is moving ahead with guidelines around sustainable investing and corporate climate disclosures, but details on the plans are scarce. The move comes as a wide range of investors, asset managers and environmental groups have been pushing the government to roll out such guidelines, also known as green […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada is recommending the development of a flexible framework to guide institutional investors’ sustainability reporting, while encouraging innovation and addressing greenwashing. In an open letter to the Competition Bureau, the PIAC said it would oppose any model that imposes disincentives on businesses disclosing strategy and process as it evolves. It argued that […]
The International Centre for Pension Management is celebrating 20 years of promoting strong pension governance practices by regularly engaging plan sponsor members, says Sebastien Betermier, the organization’s executive director. “It’s a milestone and it speaks to the value of having candid and quality exchanges among the pension funds . . . it’s a safe space for them […]
The federal government is currently seeking recommendations about its plan to introduce solvency reserve accounts for federally regulated defined benefit pension plans. Under the government’s proposed model, first announced in 2022, these accounts would be optional and constitute a separate account within a DB plan. In a press release, the government said solvency reserve accounts […]
The funded position of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan rose on both a solvency and accounting basis in July, according to Telus Health’s latest pension index. It found the solvency of the average DB plan rose to 107.8 per cent, up from 107.6 per cent in June, while the accounting index increased from […]
The market volume of annuity purchases by Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors reached an estimated $2.5 billion in the second quarter of 2024, compared to $1.1 billion in the previous quarter, according to a new report by Telus Health. While plan sponsors that are poised for upcoming transactions have an advantageous position, insurers are […]
The end of the federal government’s real return bond program will deprive institutional investors and pension plan members of a valuable investment tool that can help protect against inflation, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. It found a majority of Canada’s largest institutional investors are interested in investing in real return bonds and […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is reporting a net return of 5.4 per cent for the first half of 2024. During the six-month period ending June 30, 2024, the AIMCo’s total assets under management were $168.9 billion. The investment organization’s balanced fund — a composite of client accounts that invest in money market and fixed income, […]