A growing number of institutional investors believe integrating environmental, social and governance factors into their portfolios can help generate alpha, according to a new survey by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. This represents a major jump, from 24 per cent in last year’s survey to 38 per cent this year. On the other hand, 20 per […]
In the third quarter of 2018, Canadian defined benefit pension plans reached their highest solvency ratio of any quarter since November 2000, according to Mercer’s latest pension health index. Representing a hypothetical plan, the index reached a 112 per cent solvency level as of Sept. 28, 2018, up from 107 per cent at the ned of […]
The challenging questions for institutional investors going into the last months of 2018 will be how much further global trade tensions will rise and the subsequent impact on economic growth, company profits and inflation, according to Russell Investments latest market outlook. As well, further action on the part of the U.S. Federal Reserve will be a […]
One of Neiman Marcus Group Ltd.’s debtholder believes the company could be in default based on a transaction involving the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Marble Ridge Capital LP, which is invested in some of the group’s debt, namely its 8.75 per cent senior notes and term loans, sent a letter last week expressing serious concern over […]
The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System is acquiring California-based medical management company Paradigm Outcomes. The existing majority owner, Summit Partners, will continue to be a shareholder. Paradigm, which provides medical management to the workers’ compensation industry in the United States, is OMERS’ latest health-care investment. The pension fund has also invested in Premise Health, Forefront Dermatology, […]
Canadian plan sponsors aren’t satisfied with the retirement products available for capital accumulation plans and aren’t especially confident their members will have the income they need in retirement, according to a new survey by Schroders. “Most people didn’t feel that what was out there was going to allow people to retire with a high enough income,” said […]
One of Canada’s largest pension fund managers says trillions of dollars should be shifted into investments that will counter global warming, in part because it’s crucial to long-term profits. Michael Sabia, president and chief executive officer of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, spoke Tuesday at a roundtable discussion on sustainable finance on the eve […]
Broad examples of divergence, across many asset classes and geographies, could be an indicator that markets are headed for more turmoil than the surface appearance currently indicates, according to a strategy note from Unigestion. Divergence refers to a phenomenon when segments of financial markets that tend to move in sync begin to do the opposite. In […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has made two new appointments to its executive team. Gillian Brown, who joined the pension fund in 1995, is senior managing director of capital markets. Her previous roles at Ontario Teachers’ include equity trader, portfolio manager and managing director of insurance linked, credit and equity products. Read: OTPP posts 3.2% return for first […]
Institutional investors that divested from fossil fuels in the past five years didn’t do so at the expense of returns, according to new data by Genus Capital Management Inc. The firm’s 2018 divestment report, which looked at the returns gained by its Fossil Free CanGlobe equity fund, showed it beat its own benchmark and the Canadian stock market […]