Following an unprecedented 2020, Canada’s plan sponsors and pension plans are incorporating the lessons of the last year as they prepare for a new decade, according to a recent webinar hosted by Mercer Canada. The coming years will be marked by developments including increased geopolitical tensions and the lingering economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, […]
Canada’s defined benefit pension plans posted a median return of five per cent during the fourth quarter of 2020 and closed a volatile year with a 10 per cent gain, according to Northern Trust Canada’s pension universe. Despite uncertainty from factors including the U.S. presidential election and Brexit negotiations, the last quarter saw global equity […]
With President-elect Joe Biden officially becoming the 46th U.S. president today, institutional investors are preparing for a return to traditional governance and increased market stability. While markets don’t often respond favourably to a change in administration, the return to “normality and transparency” in Biden’s policy and governing style will act as a counterbalance, says Matthew […]
The aggregate funded ratio for Canadian pension plans in the S&P/TSX composite index increased from 90.8 per cent to 91.2 per cent during the past 12 months, according to Aon’s pension risk tracker. Aon found the funded status deficit decreased by $200 million, which was driven by asset increases of $18.7 billion and offset by […]
A rally on the stock market in the fourth quarter helped boost the strength of Canadian defined benefit pension plans to end 2020, according to a new report by Mercer Canada. The consulting firm said its pension health index, which represents the solvency ratio of a hypothetical DB plan, rose to 114 per cent at […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is appointing Nick Jansa as senior managing director for its Europe, Middle East and Africa markets. Jansa will be based in the London office and will report to Ziad Hindo, the pension fund’s chief investment officer. As a member of the investment executive team, Hindo will lead the investment activities […]
While institutional investors are facing an “unquestionably brighter” economic outlook in 2021, challenges such as fluctuations in the U.S. and Canadian dollars still lie ahead, says Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Cambridge Global Payments. In terms of the global growth landscape, he says crowded trades have been fuelled across several asset classes based on an […]
While institutional investors are facing headwinds from unexpected inflation and geopolitical realignment in 2021, the coming year will also see rebounds for corporate earnings and equities, according to two new research papers from Mercer. “Non-stop social and technological change has increased at a rate as exciting as it’s bewildering and COVID-19 has resulted in an […]
What do global institutional investors expect in the coming year? It’s not a rosy picture. According to Natixis Investment Managers’ annual institutional investment outlook, just 12 per cent of institutional investors surveyed said they believe global gross domestic product will bounce back to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels by the end of 2021. Meanwhile, 79 per cent […]
While there’s still a period of uncertainty ahead, the deployment of coronavirus vaccines is already having a positive effect on markets, according to a webinar hosted by FTSE Russell on Wednesday. In November, the global and U.S. equities markets saw double-digit returns following vaccine announcements by pharmaceutical firms Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and AstraZeneca, said […]