“There’s a new market regime in 2023,” said Justin Thomson, chief investment officer and head of international equity at T. Rowe Price, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Global Investment Conference. “It’s characterized by higher trend inflation, rates normalization, liquidity withdrawals, de-globalization and elevated volatility.” While he said he expects these conditions will encourage equity […]
In December 2021, Simon Fraser University announced the global equity portfolios for its non-pension related funds — valued at $450 million — would divest from fossil fuel producers. Four months later, the three members of its treasury team, which is led by Jacky Shen, treasurer and director of investment at the university, announced it had […]
While China’s presence on emerging market indexes may be shrinking, the case for investing in it remains compelling, said Vivian Lin Thurston, a partner and portfolio manager for emerging markets growth at William Blair Investment Management, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Global Investment Conference. “China now accounts for approximately 31 per […]
“If it’s in private equity or an alternative asset allocation, it’s a long-term investment strategy,” said Simon Oak, principal at Lexington Partners, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Global Investment Conference. “Typically, it’s a five-year investment period followed by five years of harvest. Only then can investors measure their returns.” This causes a problem for […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is bracing for headwinds in the event of a recession, but says a wide range of investments makes it well-positioned for uncertain economic conditions. The CPPIB reported Wednesday it earned a net return of 1.3 per cent in its latest fiscal year as inflation and rising interest rates weighed on both […]
U.S. defined benefit pension plans posted net returns of 4.47 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, according to a report from Investment Metrics plan universe. The performance was led by allocations to public equities, which generated 6.47 per cent during the quarter. Fixed income allocations also performed well, rising 2.93 per cent. Alternative […]
At the best of times, selecting an optimal asset mix for a defined benefit pension plan is challenging. The times of today are downright turbulent. Last year, inflation reached 8.1 per cent in Canada as a result of a prolonged period of government stimulus spending to manage the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. In response […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is selling its stake in a Quebec-based automotive aftermarket equipment manufacturer. Last week, Uni-Select Inc., which manufactures paint and refinishing products for the automotive aftermarket sector, held an extraordinary shareholder meeting to vote on a $2.8 billion acquisition offer. The deal came from LKQ Corp., a Chicago-based […]
Wells Fargo has agreed to pay US$1 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by its two public sector pension plans that alleged the bank made misleading statements about its compliance with federal regulators after a fake account-opening scandal came to light in 2016. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of members of the […]
Large and small, pension plan sponsors are adopting in-house tools, partnering with technology research institutes or relying on investment managers for technological support with asset allocation, risk management and other aspects of investment management. The growing interest coincides with an increasingly complex investment, demographic and regulatory landscape. A 2020 Deloitte report on the importance of […]