Volatility is the traditional measure of risk, but environmental, social, and governance principles can help identify risks that may not reveal themselves in the volatility numbers — and lead to a broader assessment of portfolio risk. With that, investors can ask, “Am I really happy to take on that risk, or do I need to […]
“Knowledge is knowing that tomatoes are fruit — wisdom is knowing that you shouldn’t put them in the fruit salad.” It’s a quote that is particularly apt in today’s, markets, according to Trevor Leydon, head of portfolio construction & risk, Aviva Investors. Indeed, in a market environment that has been shaped by central bank intervention […]
Even 10 years after the financial crisis, many Canadian investors still don’t feel secure, according to a new survey by Natixis Investment Managers. More than half (59 per cent) of Canadian investors said they blame market volatility for undermining their ability to reach their savings and retirement goals. This compared to 53 per cent of U.S. respondents and 62 per […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board saw a net return of 0.6 per cent for the second fiscal quarter of 2019. With a total net assets of $368.3 billion as of Sept. 30, 2018, the fund added $1.7 billion during the quarter. “While returns were relatively flat in the second quarter, our teams performed well against our […]
The political congestion likely to stem from the United States’ midterm election results has equally mixed implications for equity markets, with Democrats taking a majority in the House of Representatives and Republicans making further gains in their majority in the Senate. “A split Congress may bring gridlock, but the stock market has historically fared well with divided […]
For the first time since the Financial Services Commission of Ontario began monitoring defined benefit pension solvency in 2009, the province’s DB plans posted a median solvency ratio above 100 per cent in the third quarter of 2018. As of Sept. 30, the solvency ratio reached 101 per cent, up from 97 per cent the previous quarter. […]
For nearly a decade, analysts have been considering where the next market downturn will come from and when it will strike. But with the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s 800-point drop on Oct. 10, 2018, some asset managers are wondering whether it’s already begun. Amid the uneasiness, Sun Life Global Investment Management is pointing to a number of clouds on […]
Factoring environmental, social and governance considerations into investment decisions is good risk management, according to one pension plan sponsor. “Definitely for real assets, we see it presenting risks, but also opportunities,” said Donna Mathieu, chief executive officer of NAV Canada Corp.’s pension plan, while speaking on a panel at the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute’s 2018 […]
Broad examples of divergence, across many asset classes and geographies, could be an indicator that markets are headed for more turmoil than the surface appearance currently indicates, according to a strategy note from Unigestion. Divergence refers to a phenomenon when segments of financial markets that tend to move in sync begin to do the opposite. In […]
In February, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board flipped the script on fixed income by issuing its own bonds rather than purchasing them. The move to issue one billion euros’ worth of 15-year bonds at a 1.5 per cent fixed annual coupon marked the second time it had released euro-denominated bonds. In June 2017, it […]