Canada’s defined benefit pension plans increased their solvency levels in 2019 and have equity markets to thank, according to Mercer. The Mercer pension health index, which represents the solvency of a hypothetical plan, increased to 112 per cent in the final quarter of the year, up from 105 per cent at the end 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 […]
As private equity becomes a more sizeable part of Canadian pension portfolios, the British Columbia Investment Management Corp.’s resources and staffing are growing with it. In April 2016, when Jim Pittman joined the BCI as its senior vice-president of private equity, his group comprised six or seven people. Three and a half years later, the […]
Heading into 2020, institutional investors are eyeing the disconnect between gloomy macroeconomic indicators and strong equity market performance. Leading indications in both North American and European economies have been trending down all year, with global gross domestic product growth forecasts in a slump, said Alec Young, managing director of global markets research at FTSE Russell, during a […]
While a recession may not be likely, institutional investors can expect dampened performance in many capital markets heading into 2020, according to Bill Yun, executive vice-president at Franklin Templeton’s multi-asset solutions business, at an event in Toronto on Tuesday. Forward-looking expectations for capital markets from Canadian government bonds to emerging market equities are all in […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board saw a 2.3 per cent return, net of all costs, in the second quarter of its 2020 fiscal year for its base account and a 1.9 per cent return for its additional account. “CPPIB continued to deliver steady returns this quarter,” said Mark Machin, president and chief executive officer of […]
Active investors should combine their own analytical work with the use of machine learning to get a leg up on their passive peers, according to a new paper. Fiona Frick, Unigestion’s chief executive officer, argued that, in an environment where institutional investors are using the same strategies and no one is left with an edge, active managers should use “collaborative […]
Diversified pooled fund managers posted a median 1.5 per cent return before fees for the third quarter of 2019, according to Morneau Shepell Ltd.’s latest pension universe. The 1.5 per cent return represented a 0.3 per cent underperformance of its benchmark portfolio, which uses a 55 per cent equities and 45 per cent fixed income split. The […]
Passive investing is immensely popular, with assets in passive funds having cleared US$13 trillion, globally. But can active investors take advantage of the new landscape this is creating? Regardless of where an investor stands on the active versus passive debate, this new reality has shifted the overall market environment, revealing certain opportunities, said Ivan Cajic, […]
With the federal election about a month away, Canada’s political parties are rolling out their election platforms, making a host of promises to improve health care, employment insurance, the minimum wage and pension legislation. If elected, the Liberal Party of Canada, New Democratic Party and Green Party of Canada are all promising to implement a national pharmacare program. […]