In the search for market-beating returns, institutional investors are facing a shifting geopolitical landscape, ongoing questions about monetary policy and the impact of climate change. At the 2024 Investment Innovation Conference on Nov. 12-14 in Vancouver, B.C., leading academics and industry figures reckoned with the aftermath of the highly anticipated U.S. presidential election and provided […]
Canadian spending per household trends show the country’s economy is experiencing a recession, said Stephen Poloz, former governor at the Bank of Canada and a special advisor at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Investment Innovation Conference. Consumer spending numbers have declined around two per cent for […]
Pension plan sponsors’ integration of artificial intelligence will be a disruptive event that will require a delicate approach with sufficient testing, according to Alpesh Sethia (pictured right), chief technology officer at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. Speaking during a panel session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Investment Innovation Conference, he described the testing lab set […]
An independent review of the Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System will examine the unique governance structure of the investment organization. The current structure of the investment organization designates two separate entities with different duties and responsibilities, notes Jordan Fremont, a partner in the pensions and benefits group at Stikeman Elliott LLP. The OMERS Sponsors Corporation […]
The market volume of annuity purchases by Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors reached an estimated $2.1 billion in the third quarter of 2024, a small decline from $2.5 billion in the previous quarter, according to a new report by Telus Health. It noted some insurers are showing a strong appetite and offer competitive pricing […]
While political tensions have recently flared between Canada and India, institutional investors are unlikely to adjust their capital allocation to the country, says Partha Mohanram, John H. Watson chair in value investing at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. “I don’t [have] any indication that you’re going to see any kind […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan returned 5.1 per cent during the third quarter of 2024, an increase from 1.1 per cent in the previous quarter, according to a new report by RBC Investor Services. It found Canadian DB plans achieved an average return of 9.6 per cent on a year-to-date basis. The growth […]
The funded position of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan decreased to 107 per cent in August, down from to 107.8 per cent at the end of July, according to Telus Health’s latest pension index. It found a representative pension plan portfolio returned 0.4 per cent for the month due to strong performances by Canadian equities […]
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 […]
With many Canadian defined benefit pension plans in a strong funded position, plan sponsors, particularly those with unionized workforces, are increasingly discussing the use of surplus funds, says Gavin Benjamin, a partner in the retirement and benefits solutions practice at Telus Health. The funded position of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan rose on […]