ETF – Benefits Canada.com

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: ETFs playing larger role in institutional investors’ active strategies

lbailey — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:58:56 +0000

Over the last year, the volatile interest rate period has increased demand for fixed income exchange-traded funds among institutional investors, said Robert Forsyth, head of SPDR ETF strategy and research at State Street Global Advisors, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. “Institutional investors were using ETFs to gain really quick access […]

The post 2023 Investment Innovation Conference: ETFs playing larger role in institutional investors’ active strategies appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

How will crypto disclosure rules impact federally regulated pension plans?

bwolfe — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 13:00:58 +0000

In its 2023 budget, the federal government announced plans to require that federally regulated pension plan sponsors disclose their cryptocurrency asset exposure to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. The government has yet to announce how the pension disclosure requirements will be implemented. “Just how these guidelines will affect standards of governance or regulatory […]

The post How will crypto disclosure rules impact federally regulated pension plans? appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Majority of institutional investors expecting recession, stagflation challenges in 2023: survey

lbailey — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 14:00:15 +0000

While the vast majority (85 per cent) of institutional investors believe the economy is in a recession or will enter a recession next year, two-thirds (65 per cent) think stagflation is the bigger risk ahead, according to a survey by Natixis Investment Managers. The survey, which polled 500 institutional investors across the globe, found more than half […]

The post Majority of institutional investors expecting recession, stagflation challenges in 2023: survey appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Expert panel: China’s ESG mask slips

Gideon Scanlon — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 17:30:29 +0000

Reports that a leading asset manager is delaying the launch of a Chinese bond fund indefinitely are a clear sign that the facade around Chinese stocks’ and bonds’ environmental, social and governance record may be lifting. In recent years, rising investment in Chinese stocks and bonds coincided with a boom in ESG investing. Of course, […]

The post Expert panel: China’s ESG mask slips appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Canadian pension plans named as passive beneficiaries of China’s crimes against humanity: report

Gideon Scanlon — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 17:00:06 +0000

Nine Canadian public sector pension plans are passively invested in companies with evidenced involvement in the persecution of Uyghurs in China, according to a new report by U.K. think tank Hong Kong Watch. The report includes three federal and six provincial pension investment organizations — among more than 30 global institutional investors — as passive investors […]

The post Canadian pension plans named as passive beneficiaries of China’s crimes against humanity: report appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Survey finds 29% of Canadians are concerned about inflation’s impact on retirement savings

bwolfe — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 14:00:54 +0000

Nearly a third (29 per cent) of Canadians expressed concern about the impact of rising inflation on their retirement savings, according to a new survey by the Royal Bank of Canada. It found concerns about inflation were highest among respondents aged 25 to 34 (40 per cent). In addition to inflation, which reached a 30-year […]

The post Survey finds 29% of Canadians are concerned about inflation’s impact on retirement savings appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Attracted by liquidity, institutional investors broadening use of ETFs

mdunne — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 15:01:45 +0000

Last spring, when fixed income markets in Canada were especially hard hit, exchange-traded funds proved their ability to continue to deliver liquidity, according to speakers at a recent webinar hosted by the Association of Canadian Pension Management. That lesser-known benefit is contributing to a change in the way institutional investors are using ETFs. “We basically saw […]

The post Attracted by liquidity, institutional investors broadening use of ETFs appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Is gold really a good hedge for inflation?

mschmit — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 11:15:33 +0000

Since the mid-1970s, gold prices have increased in periods when investors were concerned about future inflation. Currently, gold prices are near highs comparable to January 1980, when concerns about stagflation were prevalent, and to August 2011, during widespread concerns about the impacts of quantitative easing. A new paper by Claude Erb, a retired managing director […]

The post Is gold really a good hedge for inflation? appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

BBB-rated corporate bonds representing larger part of Canadian market

mschmit — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 02:37:25 +0000

BBB-rated corporate bonds are becoming a bigger part of the Canadian market, according to an analysis by FTSE Russell. In particular, at the end of January 2020, the FTSE Canada one- to 10-year corporate BBB bond index had 326 issuers, representing $141.1 million in market cap, which translates to 29 per cent of the FTSE […]

The post BBB-rated corporate bonds representing larger part of Canadian market appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

What’s the role of the proxy advisor as rules shift?

mschmit — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 05:00:09 +0000

As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission moves to increase its oversight over proxy voting advisory firms, Horizons ETFs is evolving its proxy voting policies to take on a more socially responsible investing position. “We do have an obligation to our unit-holders to act in their best fiduciary interest, but we also have a socially responsible requirement as […]

The post What’s the role of the proxy advisor as rules shift? appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.