Top1000Funds.com

Organisational Design

Diversity: How can we measure progress if we don’t have the data?

Consulting firms at the centre of driving change around diversity disclosure in asset management turn the focus onto their own organisations with a commitment to reporting by the same standards. President of Verus, Shelley Heier, who is the driver of the IIDC explains the impact.

Shelly HeierOctober 21, 2021

Sustainability

CEOs flag Bitcoin equivalent in carbon market

Ahead of COP26, Allianz's Oliver Baete and Enel's Francesco Starace join a panel discussion at the PRI's annual conference on what policy makers urgently need to achieve. They are concerned the climate conference won’t bring the change that is needed to tackle the environmental emergency.

Sustainability

Asset owners need to spell out mandate details for ESG integration

In a discussion on the changing relationship between asset owners and managers when it comes to integrating ESG, panellists including PGGM's Arjen Pasma at this year's PRI Digital Conference emphasised the importance of collaboration, long-term goals and being very specific in mandates.

Investor Profile

Border to Coast: cost savings and alpha generation

In the three years since formation Border to Coast has proven success on both sides of the ledger, providing significant cost savings for its underlying partner funds and giving them access to investments they would not have dreamed of as single entities. The passionate CIO of Border to Coast, Daniel Booth, talks to Amanda White about the fund’s success and what is next in its quest for constant improvement.

Investor Profile

65% record return for Washington Uni endowment

America’s university endowments are reporting blistering returns thanks to soaring equity markets and their large venture allocations. Washington University’s managed endowment pool is an outstanding performer, returning a whopping net 65 per cent for the fiscal year 2020-21 and nearly doubling its size to $15.3 billion. CIO Scott Wilson explains how they did it.

Sustainability

What’s love got to do with it?

Co-head of the Willis Towers Watson Thinking Ahead Group, Tim Hodgson argues that to solve human issues, such as climate change, investors need to bring their heart as well their head to the job.

Tim HodgsonOctober 14, 2021

Investor Profile

HOOPP’s new focus: Climate change, inflation and innovation

In his first interview since becoming CIO, Michael Wissell tells Sarah Rundell about the plans for developing HOOPP's portfolio, which includes a focus on climate change, inflation and innovation while always keeping an eye on the total portfolio.

Sarah RundellOctober 12, 2021

Investor Profile

NBIM charts 25 years of investing in fixed income

The $1.23 trillion Norwegian sovereign wealth fund celebrates 25 years of investing in fixed income. Sarah Rundell looks at some of the highs and lows of its fixed income portfolio which makes up around 30 per cent of fund.

Sarah RundellOctober 11, 2021

Sustainability

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Sustainability

CalSTRS’ plan for its net zero plan

CalSTRS has been a leading light in ESG integration in the US but its board has been slow to adopt a net zero pledge, with internal debate centred around the most motivating factors to achieve net zero. Now it’s made the pledge it will spend the next 12 months mapping the path to achieve net zero. Amanda White spoke to head of sustainability, Kirsty Jenkinson.

Amanda WhiteOctober 5, 2021

Sustainability

Investors eye indigenous rights in Canada’s mining sector

As investors continue to demand more reporting around social impacts, Canada's mining sector grapples with how to provide investors with more transparency on indigenous relationships.

Sarah RundellOctober 5, 2021

Sustainability

Financial service providers commit to financing net zero

A range of global investment service providers, from stock exchanges to index providers, have signed up to the new Net Zero Financial Services Providers Alliance committing to align their products and services to net zero.

Sarah RundellSeptember 28, 2021

articleSustainability in Practice - September 2021

Sustainability and the need for practicality over ideology

Stephen Kotkin, Professor in History and International Affairs, Princeton University warned that the sustainability debate needs to become less ideological and more practical. He added that policy on a carbon price would do more to counter climate change than Biden’s huge infrastructure spend.

Sarah RundellSeptember 24, 2021

Top1000funds.com celebrates 1000 newsletters. This is what our readers had to say

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“Top1000funds.com is a breath of fresh air in terms circulating stories that encompass new ideas and original thinking to keep us all abreast of the ideas that matters to us in the asset management industry in general and asset allocation spheres. I thank you for that.”

Hareb Masood Al-Darmaki

deputy chair of investment committee; advisor to the managing director, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority

“Congratulations to Amanda and the team on this milestone. Your timely and relevant articles consistently offer thoughtful insights about the industry, and I look forward to seeing what the next era of investing will bring.”

Rebecca Fender

head of the Future of Finance Initiative, CFA Institute

“Accurate, authoritative, informative and readable. Top1000funds.com is everything a specialised industry publication should be. Congratulations on your 1000th issue.”

Fiona Reynolds

chief executive, PRI

“Top1000funds is the pre-eminent source for news and analysis on global issues of consequence to long-term investors. The focus is spot on. It is my go-to reference for what’s happening in our industry and what’s to come.”

Barbara Zvan

former chief risk and strategy officer, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan

“Top1000funds.com is one of the best on-line sources for learning what my peers around the world are thinking and doing to allocate capital. It’s essential reading!”

Mark Walker

CIO, Coal Pension Trustees (United Kingdom)

“I find Top1000funds.com to be a useful, must-read source of information regarding developments within the institutional investment industry. Its global reach provides a variety of perspectives which aids the practitioner to navigate the challenges faced when managing a portfolio.”

Mansco Perry

executive director and chief investment officer, Minnesota State Board of Investment (United States)

“The Top1000funds.com newsletter is an excellent read for CIOs. From my perspective, the newsletter provides important insights on how our global peers are innovating and changing the way they go about investing in order to drive better outcomes for stakeholders.”

Kristian Fok

chief investment officer, Cbus (Australia)

“Top1000funds.com always provides a thorough analysis of the best practices in the investment industry around the planet. This is a unique way to have such a perspective and there is always some insights we can all benefit from. The publication deserves a lot of credit for such work.”

Frederic Samama

head of responsible investment, Amundi (France)

“Top1000funds.com consistently provides thorough, reliable and insightful information about how global assets owners are navigating an increasingly complex investment landscape.”

Janine Guillot

chief executive, SASB (United States)

“Top1000funds.com provides a great mix of stories that are of interest to asset owners and those who work with them, covering both investment topics and organisational ones. While aimed at “the world’s largest institutional investors,” the articles are relevant to all kinds of asset owners, as well as professionals at other investment organisations.”

Tom Brakke

TJB Research (United States)

“The Top1000funds.com newsletter has become a very powerful source of information for the community of asset owners around the world. It is relevant and deep. I’ve known Amanda White for more than a decade now, she probably has the deepest understanding of the topics that are of interest to asset owners in the field globally.”

Jaap van Dam

principal director investment strategy, PGGM; and author of Achieving Investment Excellence (The Netherlands)

“I really enjoy reading Top1000funds.com articles for my reference in investment. I would describe it as a kind of lighthouse when I was lost in turbulent market situation.”

Dong Hun Jang

CIO, POBA (Korea)

“Top1000funds.com produces high quality and thoughtful journalism that frequently aids my thinking”

Tim Hodgson

co-head, Thinking Ahead Group

INVESTOR PROFILE

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Investor Profile

Why transparency is important for CalPERS

Anne Simpson, managing investment director, board governance and sustainability tells Amanda White why transparency is so important at CalPERS and what the fund is doing to improve it.

Amanda WhiteOctober 7, 2021

Investor Profile

NEST challenges private equity fees

Sarah RundellSeptember 30, 2021

articleSustainability in Practice - September 2021

How AP4 integrates sustainability in alternatives

Sarah RundellSeptember 17, 2021

Investor Profile

Maryland’s record year prompts actuarial rate reduction

Amanda WhiteSeptember 9, 2021

FIDUCIARY INVESTORS PODCAST SERIES

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Fiduciary Investors Series

Is China’s growing influence a threat or opportunity?

China is a simultaneous threat and an opportunity for investors. This discussion looks at how to navigate a worsening geopolitical situation and what it means for economic growth. Is the current course a steady state, or are big shocks, for the better or for the worse, possible and even likely? Geopolitical expert, Professor Stephen Kotkin, examines what lies ahead for investors.

Amanda WhiteJuly 2, 2021

Fiduciary Investors Series

Is China’s growing influence a threat or opportunity?

July 2, 2021

Fiduciary Investors Series

A post-COVID economy

The big difference between the vaccine rollouts and the scale of the stimulus measures across the world could result in a K-shaped global economic recovery, with much of the developed world booming but poorer countries continuing to struggle. However the

July 2, 2021

Fiduciary Investors Series

The year ahead at CalPERS: Marcie Frost on the ALM study and hiring a new CIO

The CEO of CalPERS Marcie Frost has a big year ahead. Not only is the fund still searching for a CIO, but it will also conduct its four-yearly asset liability study this year. In this Fiduciary Investors Series episode, Marcie Frost speaks to Amanda White

April 27, 2021

SUSTAINABILITY 2020 DIGITAL EVENT: A PLANET IN TROUBLE

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articleSustainability Digital 2020

China ESG risk: the next unknown

One of the most important, upcoming challenges at CalSTRS is how the fund should evaluate Chinese investments from a human capital and environmental standpoint, says Chris Ailman, chief investment officer at the giant pension fund.

Sarah RundellSeptember 25, 2020

articleSustainability Digital 2020

AO talk manager selection and data gap

Discussing how they integrate sustainability across their portfolios investors at New York State Common Fund, PKA, and TCorp, highlight the importance of manager selection and the challenge of the data gap.

Sarah RundellSeptember 24, 2020

articleSustainability Digital 2020

PRI and the road ahead

The PRI will focus on a number of key areas in the years ahead including helping signatories invest in line with the SDGs and social issues, and pushing for more engagement. But it will also be asking for increased accountability amongst its signatories.

Sarah RundellSeptember 23, 2020

articleSustainability Digital 2020

Prepare portfolios for tipping point

Political and social systems, like physical landscapes, have non-linear dynamics that suddenly reach tipping points after which there is no going back. Investors should ready their portfolios, urges Professor Cameron Hepburn, Professor of Environmental Economics at the University of Oxford.

Sarah RundellSeptember 23, 2020

articleSustainability Digital 2020

CEOs: Don’t ignore sustainability

Unilever’s former CEO Paul Polman advises CEOs pushing sustainability to treat investors and the financial markets as allies – and ignore sustainability at their peril. "You will be voted out", he warns.

Sarah RundellSeptember 22, 2020

Asset Allocation

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Asset Allocation

‘Get the sensitivities right’: PGIM’s Parikh on allocating to real assets

Allocations to real assets by asset owners globally are increasing in light of the outlook for inflation, but the performance of the entire asset class won’t be linear nor will it be predictable, Harsh Parikh, a principal in the institutional advisory and solutions group at PGIM explains.

Matthew SmithSeptember 28, 2021

Asset Allocation

POBA performance reflected in funding level

The $15 billion fund for Korean public officials, POBA, has reached new heights including a diversified, resilient portfolio, full funding and a stellar return due to a global alternatives program. Amanda White spoke to CIO Dong Hun Jang.

Amanda WhiteAugust 31, 2021

Asset Allocation

Future Fund adds risk and generates best-ever return

The Future Fund, Australia’s A$196.8 billion sovereign wealth fund raised its risk profile in the year to June 30, resulting in the fund’s best-ever one-year result of 22.2 per cent.

Amanda WhiteAugust 26, 2021

Asset Allocation

CalPERS’ new asset allocation to take on more risk

The largest pension fund in the United States, the $469 billion CalPERS, is in the middle of an asset liability modelling exercise to set a new asset allocation by June 2022. Chief executive Marcie Frost says it’s the most significant decision the board makes with regard to the investment portfolio and that achieving a return target of 6.8 per will require “pushing everyone’s risk appetite”.

Amanda WhiteAugust 24, 2021

Equities

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Equities

CalPERS reduces equities universe

In the first story of an exclusive series examining investment portfolio innovation at CalPERS, Amanda White looks at the global equities portfolio where the universe of stocks was recently halved.

Amanda WhiteAugust 19, 2021

Equities

Fiduciary duty in dysfunctional markets

Phil Edwards and Paul Woolley argue that if asset owners exhibit a more effective application of fiduciary duty to curb performance-chasing by verifying the implicit time horizon of the strategies adopted by the asset managers they employ, they could incentivise a shift towards longer horizons within financial markets with both private and social benefits.

Philip Edwards and Paul WoolleyJune 22, 2021