QSuper is re-inventing itself. On the eve of marking a century, the $27 billion superannuation fund for Queensland public sector workers is redefining its investment beliefs and living them through a strategy that is purposefully different from those of its Australian peers.
Towers Watson thinks ahead to map creative investment
Market volatility is not something the Thinking Ahead Group at Towers Watson concerns itself with, it is more worried with understanding the interconnectedness of the world and how that can help create ‘useful investment maps’. With this in mind, head of the group Tim Hodgson, says it recently recalibrated its list of 15 “extreme risks”.
Young ESG veteran sees move to mainstream
Partner and global head of Mercer’s responsible investment business, Jane Ambachtsheer, has received a lifetime achievement award for her commitment to socially responsible investment in Canada. She spoke to Amanda White about what it’s like to be a life-time achiever at the age of 36, and what still needs to be done in integrating ESG into portfolios.
The equity risk premium: empirical evidence from emerging markets
This research paper examines the differences in the equity risk premium between developed and emerging markets. It observes the time varying nature of the equity risk premium in emerging economies, relates mainly to economic cycles, shocks and other macro phenomena (ie global financial market integration). Basic statistics also show that during the last decade the ERP shrunk, especially in advanced economies. To improve investigations on the higher emerging markets’ equity premium, a standard global asset pricing model is adopted.
Regulatory Reform and the Implications for Derivatives
Global regulatory reforms promise to significantly impact investors in the derivatives market, ushering in important changes in clearing, trade execution, collateral management and investment operations, among other areas. While there are still many unknowns, investors will need to prepare themselves to adapt to an evolving and considerably altered investment landscape. Click here to download the … Read more
Thinking about Innovation as the new asset bucket
I had a moment this week where I was utterly absorbed by how indulgent my job can be. I interviewed Tim Hodgson, head of the Thinking Ahead Group at Towers Watson. He gets paid to think, and I was getting paid to talk to him about thinking. Anyway, it’s had a knock-on effect and ever since I’ve been mulling the origination of ideas.
