All Country Report articles – Page 5
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Country ReportItaly: Byblos consolidates private markets portfolio
The industry-wide fund has opted for a single external multi-asset mandate for private equity, private debt and infrastructure
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Country ReportItaly: Private markets allocations at a crossroads
Italian pensions funds are showing renewed interest in fixed income, as investment in private markets slows down – but long-term commitments are still in place
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Country ReportCountry report – Pensions in Italy (July/August 2023)
Italian second-pillar occupational pension funds continue on their path to diversification. Owing to the higher yields on offer in traditional fixed income markets, allocations to private markets may slow down temporarily, but funds have made long-term strategic commitments. A variety of industry initiatives is facilitating investment in private equity, private debt and infrastructure. Meanwhile, some pension funds are consolidating their private markets portfolios.
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Country ReportNordic region: Knut Kjaer on the future Norway's sovereign wealth
NBIM’s founding CEO Knut Kjær talks about Norway’s sovereign wealth fund adapting to changing geopolitical and economic realities
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Country ReportNordic region: NBIM looks to diversity to improve decision making
The manager of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund kickstarted its diversity and inclusion programme in 2020, and has since focused on embracing new measures to become more diverse
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Country ReportNordic region: Swedish pensions at a crossroads
The country’s Pension Agency has come up with three proposals: review, reform or remain the same
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Country ReportNordic region: Alecta faces an uphill battle
The regulator is investigating the pension fund, and it is clear the scheme will have to make some effort to restore its reputation after huge losses on US bank investments
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Country ReportNordic region: Finnish solvency rules raise questions about risk
Many argue that the current rules are too restrictive, hampering investment returns
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Country ReportCountry report – Pensions in Nordic Region (June 2023)
Reputational issues are front of mind for the board of Alecta, Sweden’s largest pension fund, as it continues to digest the fallout from its ill-starred investments in Silicon Valley Bank and two other US financial institutions that collapsed in March this year.
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Country ReportUK: Is it too soon to reform pension pools?
In his March 2023 Budget, UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt challenged the Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS) in England and Wales to “move further and faster on consolidating assets”, proposing that LGPS funds transfer all listed assets into their pools by March 2025.
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Country ReportUK: Schemes must prioritise members
Pension funds are encouraged to invest in UK illiquids, but it cannot come at any cost
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Country ReportUK: A review of the LDI debacle
The UK Parliamentary inquiry into the LDI crisis has shed light on its causes, but the debate over the lessons learned for the UK DB industry is far from over
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Country ReportUK: DC investment won't be a panacea for tech and science
The UK government’s March Budget contained plans to boost investment in high-growth industries such as digital, life sciences and advanced manufacturing, so they can start, scale up and remain in the UK.
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Country ReportUK: The case for pooling
Successful pooled schemes such as Border to Coast should be open to other clients because they are good at what they do
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Country ReportUK: Beware the unintended consequences of the DB funding code
Laura McLaren highlights the unintended consequences of TPR’s proposed code, and what can be done to mitigate the risks
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Country ReportUK: to barbell or not to barbell?
In the new world of lower LDI leverage, trustees must choose between maintaining hedging or diversification
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Country ReportUK: Can the country turn a flawed investment ecosytem around?
Decades of complex legislation has fuelled many unanticipated consequences, which has seen pension funds invest less in riskier listed equities and illiquid assets
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Country Report
UK: One way for DC schemes to access private markets
There is much debate about mark-to-model valuation methodologies and whether a material economic downturn will cause these to catch up with public market price falls, but the history books will show that portfolios with allocations to private markets were more robust than those with none in 2022 – the worst year on record for traditional balanced portfolios.
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Country ReportCountry Report – Pensions in UK (May 2023)
UK pensions are at a crucial juncture. The UK Parliament’s inquiry into the LDI crisis of September 2022 shed some light on its causes, but the debate on the role of LDI is alive and well. Meanwhile, regulators including The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority have advised pension schemes on how to make LDI strategies more resilient to shocks.
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Country ReportNetherlands: Early birds gear up for DC switch
The pension funds for pharmacists and librarians will be among the first to move to the new DC system. They talk to Tjibbe Hoekstra about the pros and cons of being an early mover, and discuss how the new system will impact their investment strategies
