MSCI Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with the Hong Kong Futures Exchange Ltd. to introduce 37 futures and options contracts in Hong Kong based on a suite of indexes in Asia and emerging markets. The agreement expands on MSCI’s relationship with the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd., or HKEX, the owner of the […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management’s Alberta regional council is highlighting the need for “made-in-Alberta” measures focused on pension plan sponsors, administrators and members due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In a submission to the provincial government, the council listed recommendations around pension contributions and funding, commuted values, plan administration, defined contribution […]
Mawer Asset Management Ltd. is appointing Crista Caughlin as lead manager of Canadian bond, global bond and Canadian money market strategies. Caughlin, who joined Mawer in May, will take over in July from the firm’s chief investment officer Paul Moroz, who’s been acting as interim co-manager of fixed income strategies. He’ll continue to act as […]
The pension risk-transfer market had another record-breaking year for transactions in 2019, according to Eckler’s latest report. Transactions for the year came to $5.2 billion, with buy-in annuities taking the lead as the dominant risk-transfer strategy with sales of almost $2.6 billion. The average transaction size continued to rise, increasing by 40 per cent, from […]
Sun Life is making a mental-health navigator available to plan members, aiming to help them find support during the coronavirus pandemic. The navigator, provided by Teladoc Health Inc.’s Best Doctors, connects plan members with a case manager who will assess their health history, set up a consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist and keep in touch to make […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is supporting six paid internships at the C.D. Howe Institute for summer 2020. “The COVID-19 pandemic is creating a challenging environment for many students who are struggling to find employment and we’re pleased that we can do our part to help,” said Michael Campbell, the IMCO’s chief client officer, […]
With the expectation that most of its workers will be working from home for the rest of 2020, Google is giving all of its global employees an allowance of US$1,000, or the equivalent in their country, to purchase necessary equipment and office furniture. In a letter to employees on Tuesday, Sunder Pichai, chief executive officer […]
Manulife Financial and its subsidiary John Hancock are giving their more than 35,000 employees a day off on Friday to say thank you for all the hard word they’ve done. The companies will also be providing five additional personal days next year to each employee to support their well-being by encouraging regular time off and […]
As investors begin to digest the extended ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, certain investment lessons are emerging. For one, investing globally provided diversification opportunities as different regions were impacted by the spread of the virus in different ways, according to a new paper from MSCI Inc. “The coronavirus pandemic started in Asia and gradually spread […]
Green Shield Canada is investing in Canadian pharmacogenetics company GenXys Health Care Systems. The two companies will be collaborating on new pharmacogenetic products, which are set to launch later this year, with a focus on driving more informed prescribing, fewer adverse drug reactions and better health outcomes for patients and plan members. “GSC has a […]