The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s investment in a grain exporter may be used as a propaganda tool by the Russian government, according to J. Paul Goode, McMillan chair in Russian studies at the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at Carleton University. “If a company as important as Viterra is to the Canada […]
While institutional investors are no strangers to established markets such as Europe and the U.S., the world’s emerging and frontier markets can provide diversification and opportunities for lucrative returns. Not surprisingly, events such as the coronavirus pandemic and a shifting geopolitical landscape are influencing these decisions in 2022 and beyond. In recent months, Russia’s invasion […]
Building a defined contribution pension plan’s investment portfolio should incorporate the benefits and drawbacks of various historical regimes to provide a strong foundation, said Ruthann Pritchard, institutional portfolio manager for global asset allocation at Fidelity Investments, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 DC Plan Summit. “A robust glide path has to consider all of […]
The Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan generated net returns of 5.56 per cent during its latest fiscal year, which ended on March 31, 2022. According to its annual report, the PSSP, a defined benefit pension plan for 41,000 current and former public sector employees in Nova Scotia, saw the value of its assets rise […]
A new report is urging pension plan sponsors and other institutional investors to ensure the resilience of their portfolios in a number of different inflationary scenarios. The report from Mercer argued inflation rises spurred by the coronavirus pandemic and widespread monetary easing are balanced by several disinflationary forces, like globalization. Geopolitical tensions, however, could upset […]
As a member of the Southern Africa Committee, a group that organized international pressure on South Africa’s apartheid regime, Joe Clark learned the value of keeping embassies open. “If you shut your embassy down, you’re taking away your own ears, your own vision,” said the former prime minister of Canada, speaking during the keynote session […]
Canada’s pension plans are well positioned to succeed in a high inflation environment though stagflation remains a significant threat, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings. “The maturing nature of participant bases increases pension funds’ reliance on investment returns, as contributions and income from active members may be outpaced by benefits paid to a […]
While politics plays a role in most investment decisions, it tends to arise on a fairly localized basis, says Michael Craig, head of the asset allocation and derivatives teams at TD Asset Management Inc. In addition, its prominence as a factor usually rises and falls on a cycle, slipping easily off investors’ radar in times […]
The majority of institutional investors believe the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be the catalyst of a period of high inflation and low employment around the globe, according to new survey by London-based CoreData Research. The survey, which polled 200 global institutional investors, found about a fifth (18 per cent) of respondents believe the invasion […]
The announcement of a new multi-employer pension plan for Canadian physicians was the most read story over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. New multi-employer pension plan coming for incorporated physicians 2. Employees want flexible working, better benefits to return to workplace: survey 3. After a strong 2021, […]