As much as institutional investors fear stock market bubbles, they have an important role to play. The flooding of capital into new technologies and innovations leading up to a bubble’s bursting fuels innovation — an area that most corporations do not invest enough in, said Randall Morck, a finance professor at the University of Alberta, […]
As places of economic activity, flood plains have their advantages — just ask the ancient Mesopotamians or the staff of the Winnipeg-based Teachers’ Retirement Allowance Fund. “Those of you who have been to our offices will know we’re right at the intersection of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. We are right in the flood plain […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing in a fund focused on supporting innovative technology companies. The New York-based White Star Capital, a multi-stage global technology investment platform, raised $360 million from investors during an investment round for its most recent flagship fund. The platform, which projected securing $300 million from investors, […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is putting its investment dollars and its Teachers’ Innovation Platform to use for a cryptocurrency exchange. During a funding round hosted on the Ontario Teachers’ TIP, FTX Trading Ltd. received just over $420 million from investors, driving up the company’s valuation to $25 billion. The Ontario Teachers’ were among 69 […]
While 72 per cent of institutional investors are currently integrating environmental, social and governance factors into their investment strategies, 29 per cent are placing greater emphasis on ESG considerations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by RBC Global Asset Management. The survey, which polled 800 global institutional investors, found […]
The typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan deteriorated on a solvency basis but improved on an accountancy basis in September, according to a new report by LifeWorks Inc. Its monthly report on DB pension indices found the average plan saw its solvency index dip from 109.4 per cent at the end of August to 108.8 […]
When the coronavirus pandemic shook up the investment landscape last spring, Canadian pension funds were also jostled by the shock wave, with the Alberta Investment Management Corp. and the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System among the hardest hit. And while the pandemic was an unprecedented event, such losses have raised the issue of whether Canadian pension […]
“Plans are, for the first time in a long time, in a position to off-load risk,” says Murray Wright, one of the contributors to LifeWorks Inc.’s monthly report on Canadian pensions. According to Wright, the principal of retirement and financial solutions at LifeWorks, pension chief financial officers are paying particular attention to one number found […]
The majority of climate-themed equity funds offer only marginal benefits compared to the broader market, according to a new report by the London-based think tank InfluenceMap. The report scored climate-themed and environmental, social and governance-themed investment funds on the basis of how well-aligned portfolios are with the environmental commitments made by governments, including the Canadian […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan returned 3.8 per cent in the first half of 2021, a significant improvement on its negative 0.4 per cent return in the first half of 2020. According to its mid-year report, the Ontario Teachers’ net assets grew to $227.7, up $8.6 billion from the beginning of the year. This is […]