Understanding complexity at BCIMC

On the first page of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCIMC) annual report is a flow chart titled “complexity and connections”, outlining how the Japanese earthquake and subsequent tsunami and nuclear disaster sent shock waves through the global economy. Understanding complexity and both the risks and potential opportunities that can arise from an increasingly … Read more

CPPIB doubles logistics spend in China

The $165.8-billion Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has substantially increased its investment in logistics properties in China, doubling its funding of a partnership with the Goodman Group. It is the second time in a year that CPPIB has doubled its exposure to logistics properties in this Chinese joint venture, with its latest injection of … Read more

The pitfalls of risk modelling

Many portfolio managers use multi-factor models, but these are only as good as the various inputs used to construct them. MSCI looks at how flawed-model construction can result in optimised portfolios that are not efficient. The paper, Is Your Risk Model Letting Your Optimized Portfolio Down?, reveals that faulty risk models tend to underestimate risk … Read more

The Caisse, Future Fund into infrastructure

Two of the world’s biggest institutional investors have recently made significant forays into Australian infrastructure, seeing opportunities in the country across a wide array of assets. Canada’s second largest pool of pension assets, la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (the Caisse), has made a $139.2-million investment in five projects. Macky Tall, the fund’s … Read more

Cal pension reforms set to pass

Governor of California, Edmund G Brown Jr, has announced proposed legislation that outlines sweeping reforms to the state’s pension system, but appears to have stepped back from a proposal to create a hybrid pension plan. The hybrid defined-contribution/defined-benefit plan was proposed last year when Brown launched a 12-point reform package. It was widely opposed by … Read more