All IPE articles in November 2023 (Magazine)
View all stories from this issue.
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Country ReportSwiss Pensionskassen strengthen their stewardship role
Swiss pension funds are broadening their proxy voting and exclusion policies while joining efforts to engage on real estate and biodiversity
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FeaturesMarket volatility: low risk does not mean ‘no risk’
Efforts to produce an accurate estimate of market risk can sometimes turn into a pessimist’s paradise, leading to a paradox. If the outcome of the estimation looks positive, investors might feel that they should not count on it, and if it looks negative, the real outcome will probably be worse than expected. From that perspective, the third quarter of this year was a very unusual one, quantitatively speaking. Not only did both risk and return decline simultaneously – a rare event – but investor sentiment also turned negative during the quarter, ending at its lowest level since the March banking crisis.
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InterviewsOpening private markets to smaller investors
“One of the biggest differentiators for us in comparison to other private markets businesses is our focus on the use of technology within the business,” says Hartley Rogers, chair of Hamilton Lane.
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Opinion PiecesIreland – future pensions tiger
Ireland stands a few policy steps away from the creation of a serious first and second-pillar pensions architecture that will improve the country’s international standing in terms of retirement provision.
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FeaturesRegulators set sight on private market fund valuations
The current waves of rising inflation and interest rates, economic uncertainty and market volatility may eventually be remembered as just a temporary setback for managers of unlisted assets. But the regulatory initiatives announced in recent months, following pressure from investors and the public, could bring about deeper changes to the buoyant private markets industry.
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Special ReportIs sustainable finance working?
Sustainability is now a top consideration for investors, but there is little evidence it is leading to a more sustainable economy
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Special ReportSustainable finance professionals take stock
IPE asked the responsible investment leads of top European asset owners a key question: has the ESG / green finance movement been effective in achieving a more sustainable economy? Here are their answers
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Special ReportWhat should EU investors do if the Republicans win the White House?
Sustainability-minded investors should wake up to the challenge of right-wing populism and its threat to climate policy
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Special ReportPlenty left for EU sustainable finance policy to tackle
European policymakers have gone full throttle on sustainable finance over the past five years. Do they have the wherewithal to finish the job?
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Opinion PiecesRegulation of private markets is essential
The private markets industry is feeling the pinch. Private equity managers, in particular, are having a hard time raising capital and exiting investments. There are also questions about returns from recent vintages, as businesses struggle with inflation and a choppier trading environment. Meanwhile, private credit managers are pushing back loan repayments to safeguard returns as higher interest rates reduce borrowers’ ability to fulfil their obligations.
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Special ReportIs there a role for ethics in ESG investing?
What if investors acknowledged that, sometimes, some things are just the right thing to do?
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FeaturesPricing the decline of democracy for investors
History does not progress in a linear way. Science, democracy, technology, arts, the economy and any other type of evolutive process advance and recede in chaotic movements, even though they ineluctably move towards progress. Those recessions and pull-backs often go unnoticed at first, at least to the casual observer. And yet, they end up profoundly sanctioned by all stakeholders including the economy, financial markets and investors.
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Special ReportWho decides if investors can pursue sustainability objectives?
Pension funds must be prepared in case their members don’t care about sustainability
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Opinion PiecesSEC cracks down on private equity and hedge funds
Pension funds, university endowments, insurance funds, and other institutional investors have long called for more transparency about their investments in private equity and hedge funds.
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AnalysisThe pension consolidation masters: learning from the Netherlands
What can other countries learn from the Netherlands about pension fund consolidation?
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Asset Class ReportsRefinancings: private equity out in the cold
Activity has been disappointing due to macroeconomic headwinds and geopolitical tensions
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Special ReportInvestors’ climate lobbying turns from corporates to sovereigns
Engagement efforts with companies on climate issues have fallen short, and investors are now raising the stakes by lobbying governments on climate policy
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Special ReportCorporate reporting: UK pivots to a forward-looking view on climate transition plans
The Transition Plan Taskforce has given its final recommendations for climate transition plans. If adopted by the FCA they will lead to a step-change in reporting by financial institutions
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Asset Class ReportsCautious welcome for contentious SEC private equity rules
Representatives of private equity limited partners broadly support the SEC’s recent private fund adviser rules
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InterviewsPrivate equity managers are keeping pension funds happy – in most cases
The private equity industry faces significant pressures. IPE asked Nordic pension funds about their experience with this growing asset class.
