Australia’s first-ever shareholder vote on climate change, put to Woodside Petroleum in April, provided superannuation funds with a prime opportunity to support the sustainability principles that many of them have espoused for years. But at this first hurdle, many crashed and burned, prompting the question: how seriously are funds pursuing sustainability through their investments? (more…)
Internalising its portfolio accounting system has given CPPIB full control of its own data for the first time. Capitalising on this advantage, its total portfolio management department is building the capabilities to enable a consistent framework to better manage a broad range of risks across the entire fund, including a unique integrated model of public and private assets. Amanda White spoke with chief investment strategist, Don Raymond. (more…)
The Second Swedish National Pension Fund (AP2) will invest $250 million in a joint venture with a US pension fund and financial services provider to buy farmland in the United States, Brazil and Australia. (more…)
California Treasurer Bill Lockyer (pictured) sent his deputy Steve Coony to a recent CalPERS board meeting to tell the pension fund they needed to do more to invest in their own backyard. Coony shares his views with conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com on how public pension funds can play a greater role in boosting California’s ailing economy.
Investors are looking to continue to scale-back their exposure to US equities, increase their allocation to fixed-interest assets and strongly focus on the liability side of their balance sheets, a recent survey of funds in the US and Europe found. (more…)
Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke’s speech at the International Monetary Conference this week reveals the delicate balance between the (stagnant) state of the US economy and the enormous growth of the emerging market economies. (more…)