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Retiree organizations rejecting changes to B.C.’s DB pension solvency rules

Two organizations representing Canadian pensioners are asking the British Columbia government to reject the recommendations of a recent report by the Ministry of Finance that suggests lowering required pension solvency funding from 100 per cent to 85 per cent. “We actually disagreed with the very objective of the report,” says Marissa Lennox, spokesperson for CARP, formerly the […]

  • August 12, 2019 November 30, 2020
  • 09:00

Are politicians’ attempts to de-globalize affecting institutional investors?

As active attempts to dismantle globalization are disrupting businesses already using tools to push growth and profitability forward, institutional investors need to remain vigilant after a decade of steady gains. Regardless of the asset class, cash flows over the last decade have been above average and even wildly abundant in some cases, says Robert Almeida, […]

  • August 9, 2019 January 9, 2021
  • 09:19

How is de-globalization affecting institutional investors?

As active attempts to dismantle globalization are disrupting businesses already using tools to push growth and profitability forward, institutional investors need to remain vigilant after a decade of steady gains. Regardless of the asset class, cash flows over the last decade have been above average and even wildly abundant in some cases, says Robert Almeida, […]

  • August 9, 2019 January 20, 2021
  • 09:00

China taking further steps to open up to foreign institutional investors

The People’s Bank of China announced that it’s opening up its financial markets to foreign investors in several new and quite granular ways. Among the developments, China is allowing foreign-funded institutions to conduct credit rating business on assets in the country’s inter-bank and exchange bond markets. Andrew Mattock, a portfolio manager at Matthews Asia, recalls […]

  • August 2, 2019 January 9, 2021
  • 08:28

Fed lowers interest rate for first time since 2008

While many indicators point to the relative health of the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve is lowering the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of two to 2.25 per cent. This marks the first rate cut since 2008. “Markets weren’t surprised,” says Dec Mullarkey, managing director at […]

  • August 1, 2019 January 9, 2021
  • 10:15

How institutional investors can capture the return potential of 5G tech

The advent of fifth generation cellular technology, 5G for short, has significant implications for institutional investors with patient capital. Many innovative sectors have the capacity to leap forward as this network technology becomes more widely used, including self-driving cars, video games, health care and cybersecurity, says Raj Lala, president and chief executive officer of Evolve ETFs. […]

  • July 31, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 10:30

How will Boris Johnson as PM affect institutional investors?

As institutional investors continue to wait for Brexit, will anything change as Boris Johnson becomes prime minister? Mere months ago, the consensus was Britain would most likely manage some kind of deal to accompany Brexit, but Johnson’s harder stance on Europe changes the rules of engagement. “Already, you’re seeing the financial impact,” says Talbot Babineau, […]

  • July 26, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:30

Are institutional portfolios prepared for the next market tumble?

Institutional portfolios have been tilted towards growth assets as they’ve reached for higher returns during the bull market of the last decade. But as the business cycle continues to stretch, it’s a prudent time to consider downside protection measures. Wylie Tollette, executive vice-president and head of client investment solutions for Franklin Templeton’s multi-asset solutions business, […]

  • July 22, 2019 November 11, 2020
  • 10:00

Employees suing Yale over fines for not participating in wellness program

The American Association of Retired Persons Foundation and the law firm Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald and Pirrotti have filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Yale University employees who are objecting to their employer instituting fines for those who don’t participate in its wellness program. The university’s program requires its 5,000 unionized staff and their spouses to submit to medical […]

  • July 19, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:00

Geopolitics becoming a primary market driver for institutional investors

Global protectionism appears to be here for the long game. While investors may not want to start playing defence just yet, it might be time to start practicing again. In it’s mid-year outlook, the BlackRock Investment Institute noted risk reduction, including elevating the levels of cash in a portfolio, would be a prudent measure given the […]

  • July 18, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:45