More than half (58 per cent) of institutional investors surveyed have implemented smart beta strategies, according a recent survey from FTSE Russel. This represents a 10 per cent increase since 2018. When looking at investors that have implemented smart beta, or are evaluating or planning to use a smart beta index-based strategy, the number jumps […]
Four years after the Ontario Securities Commission introduced its comply-or-explain disclosure policy, Canada has seen measurable improvements in the number of women sitting on corporate boards. Among S&P/TSX composite index-listed companies, the percentage of women on boards has increased to nearly 25 per cent, up from just 11 per cent in 2013, according to a […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is facing pressure to divest from companies allegedly tied to human rights abuses in China. “I have constituents of mine who’ve come to see me over the past few weeks because they have family members who have been interned,” said Conservative MP Tom Kmiec at the House of Commons finance […]
In a challenging year for global equity markets, with fixed income returns below average, the University of Toronto Asset Management Corp.’s pension portfolio returned a negative 1.6 per cent, while it’s endowment portfolio returned a negative 1.5 per cent, net of investment fees and expenses. The UTAM manages funds for the university’s pension, endowment and […]
A group of U.S. institutional investors, including public pension funds, representing more than US$1 trillion is calling on investee companies to do more to include people with disabilities in the workforce. “Disability inclusion provides businesses with a great opportunity to improve their bottom lines, while boosting diversity and innovation,” said one of the statement’s signatories, […]
A group of 55 New Zealand and global institutional investors representing more than NZ$5 trillion in assets under management have added their support to the Christchurch Call. The initiative, spearheaded by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron, was launched at a summit attended by world leaders in Paris on Wednesday. […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is selling its stake in BluEarth Renewables Inc. to DIF Infrastructure V, a European independent infrastructure fund. The Ontario Teachers’ was a founding shareholder in BluEarth, an independent renewable power producer that builds, owns and operates solar, hydro and wind facilities in North America. Following the sale, DIF V will own […]
The OPSEU Pension Trust is highlighting its responsible investing efforts in its fourth yearly report. The report’s key themes included the pension fund’s focus on better measuring its exposure to climate change risk and promoting of gender diversity. On climate change, the OPTrust is aiming to get more and better quality information from portfolio companies on these issues. As well, the […]
While environmental, social and governance factors are a hot topic in the investment world, hedge funds are falling behind, according to new data from Preqin. Currently, most hedge fund managers and investors don’t have an ESG policy in place. In fact, only 29 per cent of investors and 20 per cent of hedge fund managers […]
The movement towards sustainable investment strategies is increasing among asset managers and becoming standard, but there are still challenges, a recent survey by Aviva Investors’ multi-manager research team found. Eighty per cent of managers have seen rising requests for bespoke ESG solutions, the survey found. As well, over 70 per cent of respondents incorporate ESG […]