The median solvency ratio of Canadian defined benefit pension plans increased to 122 per cent in the third quarter of 2024, up slightly from 121 per cent in the previous quarter, according to a new report by Mercer. The report, which tracked 450 DB pension plans, attributed this increase to declines in global interest rates, […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board reported an eight per cent return in its fiscal year ending March 31, but significantly underperformed the 19.9 per cent return of its reference portfolio. The reference portfolio, made of 85 per cent global equity and 15 per cent Canadian bonds, benefited last year from stock price surges in the […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec returned 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2024, underperforming its benchmark of 4.6 per cent. As at June 30, 2024, the Caisse’s net assets totalled $452 billion. Its average annualized returns over five and 10 years were six per cent and 7.1 per cent, respectively. […]
While real assets are largely absent among the investment options offered by Canadian defined contribution pension plans, they can offer significant long-term benefits to plan members, said Andrew Knox, managing director of Franklin Templeton Investments’ global real assets fund, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 DC Plan Summit in February. “[Defined contribution] investors in […]
The era of predictable monetary policy and global co-operation is over. In this new epoch, defined by sweeping government intervention, geopolitical realignment and environmental catastrophe, new ideas must be embraced. At the 2023 Investment Innovation Conference at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, Calif. on Nov. 15-17, leading academics and industry figures provided expert summaries […]
Institutional investors are preparing for a bumpy return risk space where volatility is higher for all assets and real returns are much lower than what has been the norm over the past 10 years, said Robertas Stancikas, a senior research associate of institutional solutions at AllianceBernstein, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in […]
For institutional investors, valuation reviews will be critical in navigating equity market uncertainties, said Amy Chang, managing director and head of active global fundamental at the British Columbia Investment Management Corp., during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Investment Innovation Conference in November. “I think this focus on business quality and looking at individual opportunities is […]
While the majority (87 per cent) of defined contribution pension plan sponsors feel their members are somewhat or very prepared for retirement, only 63 per cent of members feel the same way, according to a new survey by Voya Investment Management. The survey, which polled 305 U.S. DC plan sponsors, 205 plan specialists and 500 […]
While fixed income has long had the reputation of being the conservative and stable supporting partner in the traditional balanced portfolio, unbundling fixed income into its sub-components presents opportunities for enhanced risk-adjusted returns, said Aaron Young, vice-president and client portfolio manager at CIBC Asset Management. When investors buy the FTSE universe bond index or even […]
Nearly a third (32 per cent) of U.S. institutional investors say they plan to increase their private asset allocations over the next two years, primarily due to diversification benefits, lower volatility and the potential to garner higher returns than public markets, according to a new survey by Schroders. The survey, which polled more than 100 […]