The future of investing in China
International pensions adviser at PRIME bv, Peter Kraneveld, looks at how different China scenarios could impact portfolios.
AustralianSuper expands offshore
Australia’s largest pension fund, the A$160 billion AustralianSuper, is set to double in assets in the next five years. As a result it is sending more assets offshore and will set up offices in New York and Asia to access direct deals.
Can finance crack modern slavery?
Institutional investors are increasingly worried about investing in businesses that exploit slave workforces through their supply chains. A roundtable into modern slavery discussed how asset owners and managers can take the lead to impact the 40.3 million workers in the world suffering from some form of labour abuse.
Spain’s Caixa boosts risk off allocation
In an overhaul of investments impacting almost every asset class, Spain’s largest corporate pension fund, is looking to increase diversification and improve its ESG ratings. It’s decreased equities in favour of US government bonds as part of a strategy to protect the portfolio in a potential downturn, this strategy also includes tail risk hedging, currency hedging and slashing its hedge funds allocation.
Is innovation in finance a good thing?
Innovation is usually viewed by economists as a productivity-enhancing force, powering economic growth in modern capitalist societies. But damage can also be done by innovations, especially in the financial sector where agency issues create the potential for negligence and rent extraction. A more cautious perspective might help investors and policymakers better manage the risks that inevitably accompany financial innovations and contribute to more stable and efficient markets.
Roger Gray reflects on his time at USS
In what will be exactly a decade leading and transforming the Universities Superannuation Scheme investment office, Roger Gray will step down in September. Amanda White spoke to him about investments, governance, the self-possession needed to thrive in funds management, and what’s next.
