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 […]
Keynote speaker Nicholas Burns kicked off this year’s Global Investment Conference with insights about the mega trends dominating the global geopolitical landscape today. Looking at the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Harvard University professor and former U.S. Under Secretary of State expressed rising concerns about the future of the agreement. “I’m worried […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec returned 9.3 per cent in 2017, an increase on its return of 7.6 per cent in 2016. While announcing the annual results on Wednesday, Michael Sabia, president and chief executive officer of the Caisse, said the portfolio reacted almost exactly as forecasted. He also highlighted the important transition period […]
Canada and the world enjoyed a particularly strong economic performance last year. In Canada, the unemployment rate fell to just 5.7 per cent at the end of December, while the World Bank estimates the global economy grew by three per cent last year. So with those positive results in mind, what should institutional investors keep […]
While the majority of global fixed-income specialists see the global economy on the road to recovery, many have a significant appetite for alternative credit, such as real estate debt and bank loans, according to a new survey by Invesco Ltd. The inaugural survey interviewed 79 global fixed-income specialists, including heads of fixed income as well as chief investment […]
Whether plan sponsors expect a bear or a bull market in 2018, if they’re in a position to de-risk their pension plan, they should do it now, according to two investment consultants who spoke at an event in Toronto on Thursday. “From our perspective, if you look at the world over the last six years, […]
Canada’s economic boom in 2017 surprised economists and supported strong labour numbers. Yet, inflation also remained dormant, “which created this Goldilocks environment and, therefore, very strong financial market returns for the year,” says Luc de la Durantaye, the head of asset allocation and currency management at CIBC Asset Management Inc. That won’t be the case […]
Investors who are watching the Canadian equity market should prepare for a few more bumpy moments in 2018, according to Russell Investments Canada Ltd.’s 2018 global market outlook. While the firm’s strategists anticipate Canada will avoid a recession, investors will be keenly watching for the signs of one. Equities may have more room to grow in the first half of […]
Bolstered by a lift in global equities, Canadian defined benefit pension plans maintained positive growth in the first quarter of 2017 with average returns of 2.9 per cent, according to RBC Investor and Treasury Services. Positive global economic conditions in the first quarter helped lift global equities to a return of 6.2 per cent for […]
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced his government's resignation and called early elections Thursday, an attempt to get a new mandate to implement a three-year bailout program that sparked a rebellion within his radical left party.