This summer the Washington State Investment Board will conduct two “deep dives” using its new risk tools to examine the portfolio exposure to US debt, and the impact of turmoil among the European Union. Executive director, Theresa Whitmarsh, discusses the board planning session, which will also include a review of the fund’s resource constraints. (more…)

The Netherlands’ biggest pension fund has said it will not be able to maintain its current asset allocations and risk/return profile if proposed Dutch pension reforms do not go ahead. (more…)

Market forces will drive climate change investments, regardless of government intervention, climate change strategist at Deutsche Asset Management, Mark Fulton, says, with the application of climate change filters to bond portfolios marking the logical evolution of investment product.

(more…)

Past performance of priavte equity funds is a weak indicator of whether an existing client will reinvest with a fund, a new survey has revealed. (more…)

Sustainable energy is not a bubble by-product of the credit boom but a global investment transition that is likely to strengthen over time, according to the latest UNEP Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment report. Wake up investors, renewable energy has arrived. (more…)

This World Bank policy research paper examines the herding behaviour of pension funds, concluding that funds herd more in assets for which they have less market information and when risk increases. Moreover, herding is more prevalent across funds that narrowly compete with each other. (more…)