While geopolitical tensions are grabbing investors’ attention, how is Canada faring domestically? It’s a bit of a mixed bag, according to Russell Investments Group’s latest quarterly outlook, which noted that while Canada’s economic data has outpaced that of other developed markets, the rosy outlook may not last. Specifically, Russell’s analysis of Citigroup Inc.’s economic surprise […]
Subject to certain conditions, MSCI is set to promote its Kuwait index to emerging market status beginning June 2020. Later this fall, Kuwait’s financial markets are planning to open up to foreign institutional investors in new ways. If all proceeds as planned, the Kuwait index will be included in MSCI’s emerging markets index, which will […]
With renewed volatility prompting money managers back on their toes, equity markets have been leading investment industry discussions over the past few quarters. Against this backdrop, how is fixed income, the other fundamental building block of defined benefit pension portfolios, faring? For David Lafferty, senior vice-president and chief market strategist at Natixis Investment Managers, the […]
When it comes to investing member contributions, the Co-operators Group Ltd.’s defined contribution pension doesn’t look like many other Canadian plans. For one, it doesn’t use a platform approach to investing. Instead, much of its more than $1 billion in assets under management are part of a pre-constructed balanced fund with different target-risk levels with […]
A thick fog is clouding institutional investors’ efforts to gain clarity on the global market outlook, but certain key themes are peeking through, according to Manulife Investment Management’s mid-year report. Geopolitical unrest continues to be a cause for concern, the report noted. The escalation of trade tensions between the U.S. and China could point to a […]
While trade risk continues to plague global economies, India and China are expected to be major emerging market growth drivers, according to State Street Global Advisors’ mid-year global outlook report. If trade relations between the the U.S. and China improve, it could lead to a recovery in emerging markets overall, the report said. Both sides […]
While carbon concerns have been dominating conversations among institutional investors looking to mitigate environmental risk, the issue of water usage should be higher on their list, according to a paper by Russell Investments Group. “Overall, we have concluded that the current water-related investment tools available are insufficient and inhibit investors from converting insights into meaningful […]
As certain major technology firms are struggling, a sub-sector of the industry is on the rise. “Cyber security companies are producing and providing essential services,” says Raj Lala, president and chief executive officer of Evolve ETFs. “They’re not producing a smartphone or a social media application, so they’re very different from the FAANG stocks out […]
With political risk a constant in emerging markets, a quiet year for institutional investors playing in the space doesn’t really exist. “The noise can be triggered by geopolitical shifts, by social tensions or elections,” said Graham Stock emerging market senior sovereign strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, a division of RBC Global Asset Management, during a webinar on […]
In Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, pension funds are increasing their exposure to equities at the expense of fixed income, according to a new report by Mercer. In aggregate, over the five-year measurement period, average allocations to equities for the growth markets covered by the report rose eight percentage points to 40 per […]