When news hit that the U.S. military had carried out an attack that killed Qasem Soleimani, the major general of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, institutional investors watched as markets saw something of a flight to safety. Gold is currently hovering near a five-year high. Brent crude spiked to close to US$71 off the back of the […]
The Swedish word “tack” translates to “thank you,” which is precisely what IKEA is saying to employees with its Tack! loyalty program. In Canada, the program operates as a deferred profit-sharing plan and is part of employees’ total rewards package. “The [program] was launched in 2013 based on the wish of IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad […]
Since the financial crisis, the Pension Plan for the Employees of Concordia University has transformed the way it approaches investments by introducing its first funding policy and revamping its investment policy. Historically, the plan had a 60/40 asset mix and its board of directors was completely focused on the asset side of the equation, says […]
The majority of Canadian institutional investors say they don’t think shareholders should take precedent over all other stakeholders, including employees, at a given company, according to a new survey by Daniel J. Edelman Holdings Inc. It found 91 per cent of respondents said maximizing profits in the interest of shareholders can no longer be the primary purpose of […]
While public equities appear to be holding steady, at least for the moment, certain longer-term indicators could give institutional investors cause for concern. “Growth is not at risk and inflation is nowhere to be found. And those two factors are likely to push central banks to become complacent,” says Florian Ielpo, head of macroeconomic research at Unigestion […]
There are two fundamental reasons for including alternatives in a defined contribution pension portfolio, according to Ed Studd, solutions manager for U.S. portfolio solutions at Schroders, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Defined Contribution Investment Forum in Toronto on Sept. 27. First, alternatives can help the portfolio achieve better diversification by accessing different types […]
Many years ago, there was not much pension investment–related law, but with the rise of Canadian pension funds investing globally, this has changed, said Mitch Frazer, partner at Torys LLP, when speaking at Canadian Investment Review‘s 2019 Risk Management conference. “You see pension funds buying assets around the world, and it’s really a very interesting […]
Globally, the number of floods has quadrupled since the 1980s and doubled since 2004, which poses risks to both residential and commercial real estate investments. Yet, institutional investors are still struggling to quantify and manage the long-term climate risks to their private real estate portfolios, according to a new report by MSCI Inc. that looks […]
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries is asking financial stakeholders to take climate risks more heavily into account. In a letter addressing Canada’s governments, corporations and investors, the institute said quantifying and disclosing the financial impacts of climate change are key actions that will help mitigate the rise in global temperatures and will help Canadians adapt […]
With pension portfolios continuing to diversify globally, the practical and political decisions made by heads of state matter to institutional investors more than ever. But it’s a tall order to measure the risks around these decisions. In response to increasing demand for reliable data, Sustainalytics is revamping its risk ratings system for sovereign fixed income […]