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Risks are multi-faceted and evolving: Litterman

If Robert Litterman were a CIO of a public pension plan he would not try to hit an “unrealistic return target”. Amanda White speaks to him about risk, quants, asset allocation and climate change. There is a serious problem with US public pension funds and the “unrealistic commitments and unrealistic return targets” they have set,

Harvard’s sustainability plan

Last month Harvard Management Company was the first US university endowment to sign the PRI. It has also appointed its first vice president of sustainable investing as it seeks to incorporate ESG considerations in its decision making. So how is HMC integrating ESG in its portfolio?   Harvard University has taken a stand for sustainability.

Better beta bets pay off for UTAM

The $6.6 billion University of Toronto Asset Management made some significant active tilts last year resulting in the return on the university’s main portfolio exceeding target return by about 10 per cent. Amanda White spoke to president and chief executive, Bill Moriarty.   Last year was a reasonably easy environment in which to make better

UPS pension fund’s opportunistic future

The United Parcel Service corporate pension fund is finalising an asset liability study this year which will result in a new strategic asset allocation. The $28 billion US fund, typically has a lower allocation to fixed income than its peers and has a reasonably aggressive portfolio for a corporate defined benefit fund. It is a

Centrica focuses on dynamic decision making

For the Centrica pension fund, which adopts a liability-matching portfolio approach, last year was busy for appraising new opportunities arising out of the fact banks are no longer lending. This year its focus is on being more dynamic. Amanda White spoke to chief investment officer of the £5.5 billion ($9 billion), Chetan Ghosh. The Centrica

HOOPP’s strong funding status driven by liability hedging

The $51.6 billion Canadian fund, HOOPP, returned 8.55 per cent for the 2013 financial year, exactly half the return of 2012. But it finished the year in a better position than the year before, demonstrating that returns are only half the story. Amanda White spoke to Jim Keohane about the funds liability-driven investment style.