Editor of the Financial Analysts Journal and chair of Ennis Knupp & Associates, Richard Ennis, believes contemporary asset allocation schemes are becoming unwieldy for many decision makers because of the proliferation and splintering of investment categories, and advocates an approach that relies more on empirical evidence than on assumptions or intuition.
As concerns in private credit mount, Colorado PERA CIO and COO Amy McGarrity says the pension fund isn’t seeing any strains in its growing allocation to the asset class, arguing that long-term investors are shielded from the risks because they can lock up their capital to weather market cycles.
Leigh Gavin, CIO at Australian industry-fund pioneer LUCRF Super, takes care to match portfolios and costs with the needs of the fund’s low-balance membership. In recent years, this has meant taking on additional risk and questioning fee models in private equity.
There is still alpha in public equities markets, says Ron Mock, chief executive of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, who supports the fund’s allocation to hedge funds. Mock’s “faith” in active management extends to quantitative strategies – with the right managers.
The annual Chief Investment Officer Sentiment Survey, conducted by conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com and Casey Quirk, a practice of Deloitte Consulting, has revealed a global asset owner community that is less tolerant of risk and more interested in negotiating fees.
It’s a VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous). In such times, it’s especially important for investors to have guiding principles. The Thinking Ahead Group provides a handful of key themes to manage in the year ahead.
The £21 billion Coal Pension Trustees is targeting income and shoring up cash flows. CIO Mark Walker has a new bond portfolio in the works and is examining private debt and property closely. He’s also targeting onshore equities in China.
The CHf4 billion CERN pension fund maintains a dynamic, tactical strategy that takes into account the market environment and the fund’s liabilities. Once risk levels are set, CIO Elena Manola-Bonthond tweaks and adjusts to stay on target, employing strict due diligence in areas such as private equity and hedge funds.
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