Despite significant improvements recently to pension plan solvency levels, the start of 2018 has been a challenging one for institutional investors. Shifting monetary policies have put pressure on bond portfolios, while rising yields have started to affect the equity markets. On the equity side, the S&P/TSX composite index has gone from a high of almost […]
In spite of volatile public equity markets, the median solvency ratio for Ontario’s defined benefit pension plans was slightly higher at 95 per cent for the first quarter of 2018, compared to 94 per cent at the end of 2017, according to the Financial Services Commission of Ontario’s latest quarterly report. Equity markets were down in the first […]
The Canadian dollar has had its share of ups and downs over the past year or so. At the beginning of 2017, it sat at 74 cents U.S., rising to a recent high of 82 cents in September. Since then, it has fluctuated at around the 80-cent level, falling by a few cents throughout early […]
Following a strong 2017, the early February selloff and subsequent quick rebound, investors are rethinking their strategy as they face a mature bull market, according to a release from Schroders. “We still feel that we are in an environment that is supportive of taking risk, it’s just that it won’t be as supportive as it was last year,” […]
Solvency levels for Canadian defined benefit pension plans came down slightly in the first quarter of 2018, according to Aon’s monthly survey. It found, after decade-high levels in the last quarter of 2017, defined benefit plans had a median solvency ratio of 98.7 per cent as of April 1, 2018, falling slightly from 99.2 per cent in the […]
After the Paris Accord, how can green bonds help your portfolio?
The OPSEU Pension Trust posted a 9.5 per cent return for 2017, an increase on its six per cent return in 2016 and its eight per cent return in 2015. “We were strong across all the asset classes,” says Hugh O’Reilly, president and chief executive officer of OPTrust, noting the fund saw a 22.9 per cent return in public equities […]
The median solvency ratio for Canadian defined benefit pension plans dropped slightly in February as equity markets stalled, falling to 99.8 per cent from 101.3 per cent in January, according to Aon’s monthly survey. January’s solvency ratio was the highest since 2002, noted the survey. However, nearly half (49.6 per cent) of plans were more than fully funded […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan posted a 10.88 per cent return for 2017, up very slightly on its 10.4 per cent return in 2016 and exceeding its portfolio benchmark by 2.99 per cent or $2 billion. According to the pension fund’s annual results, it also maintained its funded status at 122 per cent, its investment […]
Investors are putting risk at the centre of their asset allocation decisions — and that’s good news. The trouble is, the risk models they’re using aren’t up to the task. So says Sebastien Page, head of global multi-asset at T. Rowe Price Group Inc. Despite shortcomings with the current models, he believes there are solutions to help investors […]