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 […]
Institutional investors are focusing on equities and global markets as the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue in Canada, according to a webinar hosted by Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. on Tuesday. In the keynote address, Stephen Poloz, former governor of the Bank of Canada, said the pandemic is amplifying the economic effects of five pre-existing […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is acquiring a majority stake in NVISION Eye Centers, a U.S.-based provider of eye-care services. As part of the transaction, Dr. Tom Tooma, NVISION’s founder, will retain a significant minority position in the company, serving as its chief medical officer and as a member of the board of directors. “Our […]
The San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association implemented a simple innovation 15 years ago that’s added nearly US$1 billion to the fund’s total value as of Aug. 31, 2020. That innovation is “informed rebalancing,” said Arun Muralidhar, adjunct professor of finance at George Washington University, when speaking at the Canadian Investment Review’s Investment Innovation Conference […]