When my husband got a new job in Pickering, Ont., it became clear that a four-hour return commute from our west-end neighbourhood on public transit wasn’t sustainable for him. We weighed the pros and cons of either moving or buying a car. The car won out, but only if we could both use it as […]
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 an outsourced chief investment officer model may be the right option for a pension plan under particular circumstances, circumstances can change. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. took on an OCIO structure several years ago, but changes within the company made the model less appropriate over time, said Wes Peters, the company’s vice-president of investments, during […]
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 combination of preventative medicine and pharmacists can be powerful. Through a collaboration between the University of British Columbia’s pharmacists clinic and its human resources’ health, well-being and benefits division, researchers sought to improve the cardiovascular health of staff members, including those who didn’t realize they might be at risk. “In British Columbia, part of […]
The debate surrounding how institutional investors use proxy voting is heating up. The contention hinges on guidance the Securities and Exchange Commission released earlier this year on the activities of proxy-advisory firms. It says that when proxy-advisory firms provide proxy-voting advice to their investor clients, it counts as proxy solicitations. That, in turn, means those […]
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 […]
Canada’s economy is famously reliant on its rich natural resources, with a heaping helping of financial service providers thrown in for good measure. But when oil companies, mining outfits or Canadian banks are deciding how to invest the capital in their pension funds, does it make sense to steer clear of exposures that directly correlate […]
Canada’s economy is famously reliant on its rich natural resources, with a heaping helping of financial service providers thrown in for good measure. But when oil companies, mining outfits or Canadian banks are deciding how to invest the capital in their pension funds, does it make sense to steer clear of exposures that directly correlate […]
With India attracting the attention of Canadian pension plans, what opportunities and risks exist in the country? Across all asset classes, 2018 saw US$47 billion in foreign investment transactions into India, according to Sanjeev Krishan, deals and private equity expert at PwC India, during the Canadian Investment Review’s podcast “Pension Passport.” And this year could very well surpass that number, he […]