The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing a potential US$339 million in a renewable energy company in Japan. According to a press release, the investment will allow Shizen Energy Inc. to accelerate its ongoing renewable power plant development activities, business enhancement initiatives in energy digitalization and human capital expansion in key markets. […]
The first issue of Benefits Canada hit the desks of the country’s human resources, benefits, pension and investment professionals in 1977, four years before I was born. That same year, Canada’s inflation rate was eight per cent, very close to July 2022’s annualized inflation rate of 7.6 per cent. A lot has changed in 45 […]
As a fresh-faced elementary school student in 1977, Aaron Bennett wasn’t quite in the target demographic for the freshly launched Benefits Canada magazine. Still, Bennett — now the chief investment officer at Ontario’s University Pension Plan — has a pretty firm grasp on the concerns that would have occupied the minds of his predecessors as […]
The use of leverage by U.K. defined benefit pension plans with liability-driven investment strategies left them vulnerable to a sharp rise in bond yields in September, says Erwan Pirou, Canada chief investment officer of wealth solutions at Aon. “Many plans in the U.K. are using leverage in their LDI strategies . . . to reduce […]
Fixed income investing isn’t known for its excitement, but in the volatile markets of the post-coronavirus pandemic period, bond specialists may be in for a wild ride. “There’s more yield in the marketplace, so bonds are becoming a better competitor to stocks. . . . You should be asking yourself, how do I get more […]
While publicly traded real estate investment trusts have been impacted by rising interest rates, the extent of the impact varies from market to market, said Corrado Russo, managing partner and head of global securities at Hazelview Investments, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Risk Management Conference. “It’s not shocking to see those [markets] that […]
With market volatility increasing amid the convergence of multiple global events, institutional investors can turn to multi-asset credit to provide attractive levels of income and diversification as well as reposition their existing asset mix or risk budget, said Blair Reid, partner and senior portfolio manager for multi-asset at BlueBay Asset Management, part of RBC Global […]
The use of a four-state probability model can more accurately predict stock market phases and improve investment and risk management decisions, said Tom McCurdy, professor of finance and Bonham chair in international finance at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2022 Risk Management Conference. The proposed model incorporates […]
Institutional investors’ best laid plans sometimes go awry — especially following global pandemics. During a presentation at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Risk Management Conference, Marc Gauthier, treasurer and chief investment officer at Concordia University, said the dramatic events shaping the world in the past two years have challenged the university’s carefully designed investment model. […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is warning corporate board directors that any companies failing to consider climate risks, adopting multiple-year term lengths or lacking in female representation won’t receive its support during shareholder votes, according to a new report. “How we select investments and hold management accountable to manage these factors can enhance or erode […]