Strategy
Get the latest news on pension fund and investor strategies, plus in-depth analysis of industry successes and tactical U-turns
Latest news
Ethos excludes Tesla shares from own funds raising governance issues
‘Musk is now part of an administration that wants to somehow fight Tesla’s own product, it is a contradiction,’ Ethos CEO Vincent Kaufmann says
Schroders’ UK pension scheme commits to running on
Scheme plans on harnessing DB surplus for DC contributions
Generali Italia boosts investments in domestic private assets to €4.7bn
Increasing investments in the domestic economy are linked to the growth of the supplementary pension sector
NEST in talks with managers that exited NZAM, CA100+
Diandra Soobiah, director of responsible investment at NEST, says dialogue around managers’ climate engagement may become less open and consistent
IPE Netherlands Briefing: First three schemes move to new DC system
Plus: ABP tells its in-house asset manager APG to shed all its other fiduciary clients by 2030
Viewpoint: How a DB ‘surplus code’ could support economic growth
David Wrigley, partner at LCP, says supporting the appropriate release of surpluses could provide a shot in the arm to the UK economy
Dutch DC frontrunners reform their interest rate hedges
In DC, pension funds will only hedge interest rate risk for older participants
AP7 boosts internal management as it reaches quarter-century milestone
Sweden’s DC buffer fund is boosting internal capacity and embarking on a hiring spree as it seeks to adapt to a harsh new investment environment
Dutch doctors fund’s concentrated portfolio a ‘risky strategy’
The risk of missing out on new investment trends is seen as the main drawback of a concentrated portfolio with a buy-and-hold strategy
European pension funds on investing in their home market: a delicate balance
Pension funds in Europe have been reducing their allocation to European assets, especially listed ones. While valuations may be attractive, there is little else to convince them to raise their investments in their home market
IPE Netherlands Briefing: First three schemes move to new DC system
Plus: ABP tells its in-house asset manager APG to shed all its other fiduciary clients by 2030
LeapFrog eyes global impact investment opportunities
Impact investing was once a niche concept. “We were seen as the weird people in the corner of the room,” recalls Andy Kuper, the South African founder and CEO of LeapFrog Investments
BNY Investments: More than the sum of the parts?
The world’s top asset managers are a diverse bunch. From pure-play managers to investment bank-owned firms and those with an asset servicing heritage, the different flavours also reflect the changing nature of the sector.
Veritas: Finnish pension insurer seeks in-house efficiency
Veritas CIO Laura Wickström talks to Pirkko Juntunen about the challenges and opportunities of running a lean but efficient internal investment team
Asian emerging markets on the rise
Investors are taking note of investment opportunities in Asia in a variety of different ways, as new research shows
Dutch doctors’ fund focuses on Europe in new equity portfolio
The scheme’s new concentrated portfolio only includes 65 companies
Swedish, European small caps to be next group for premium pension tenders
Swedish agency firms up running order of 2025 procurements plan; extends deadline for active global equity tender currently under way
Dutch doctors fund switches to concentrated equity portfolio
The €10bn fund will only keep about 70 companies in a new buy-and-hold approach
Passive investors: price/market reliance and the due diligence question
Towards the end of October 2024, the High Court in London struck out claims for £335m (€402m) being sought from Barclays for misdemeanours dating back over ten years.
DeepSeek’s arrival increases risk for passive investors
But it provides upside for companies that use AI applications, or are keen to start doing so, according to investment experts
Asian emerging markets on the rise
Investors are taking note of investment opportunities in Asia in a variety of different ways, as new research shows
LGPS Central reaches £43bn AUM with oversight and stewardship mandate
Partner funds have appointed LGPS Central to provide oversight and stewardship services for over £11bn in passive funds
Varma trumpets biggest investment yet with €2.3bn in US climate ETF
Finnish pensions insurer invests in Invesco New-York ETF launch, with fund tailored to its own needs
Swedish, European small caps to be next group for premium pension tenders
Swedish agency firms up running order of 2025 procurements plan; extends deadline for active global equity tender currently under way
Have factor investing strategies had their day?
Factors have inspired indices, spin-offs and a variety of investment strategies but it has become hard to argue that they will offer investors a persistent future premium
Equities: Active investors keep their eye on the prize
As equity markets enter a new phase after the August 2024 sell-off, institutions are sticking to their long-term active equity approaches
LD picks BankInvest for listed alternatives, citing quant, factor-based approach
Danish pension fund manager “pleasantly surprised” by volume of extremely high quality offers received
BoE launches repo facility to help tackle severe Gilt market dysfunction
The CNRF will lend to participating insurance companies, pension schemes and LDI funds to help maintain financial stability
UK investment industry rules out LDI Crisis 2.0 as bond yields soar
UK 10-year Gilt yield rose to 4.93% today following increased borrowing costs from government
Dutch DC frontrunners reform their interest rate hedges
In DC, pension funds will only hedge interest rate risk for older participants
Case study: Caja de Ingenieros Gestion - The rise of smart beta
The Spanish pension provider Caja de Ingenieros Gestion serves more than 215,000 members, predominantly from the Spanish engineering sector, using an investment style based on independent analysis, with a bottom-up approach.
Smart beta pioneer reignites debate on factor timing
Research Affiliates founder Rob Arnott finds ‘most factors look very cheap’ in a new paper highlighting the attractiveness of many equity factor strategies
Viewpoint: Alternative risk premia strategies stand tall amid turmoil
While bond and equity markets have been pummeled in 2022, Alternative Risk Premia strategies have at last been able to demonstrate their diversification prowess. Will this year’s performance restore investor confidence in these strategies after the painful results of 2020?
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