A complete evaluation of active management including reports by Mercer and an international group of professors, has resulted in the Norges Bank Investment Management, manager of the $375 billion Government Pension Fund-Global, staunchly favouring active management, with the bank’s Governor and executive director of the NBIM describing “a passive, uninformed approach to operational decisions is an alternative without a sound theoretical or practical justification”.
A joint study by LIMRA , the International Foundation for Retirement Education and the Society of Actuaries into the effects of the financial crisis on how retired individuals with investable assets make decisions about investing their assets and purchasing financial products has found they are more risk averse and less confident post the crisis.
Following the purchase of European equities manager Sourcecap International, Hermes Pensions Management, the fund manager for the £32 billion ($51.8 billion) BT Pension Scheme, is preparing to market its diverse array of boutique managers to institutions worldwide.
With the ability to make investments of up to £50 million ($80.4 million) without board oversight, the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) has boosted its exposure to emerging markets while also buying global infrastructure, commodities and solar energy. Chief executive Mike Taylor told Simon Mumme about some further opportunities, such as Brazilian agriculture, the fund is targeting.
The C$123 billion ($118 billion) Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has undergone an executive restructure including the creation of two new positions reporting to the chief executive: executive vice president, investments; and chief investment strategist.
This research examines the effect of tail risk, or extreme risk, on pension funds, concluding that all extreme scenarios have an immediate negative impact that can significantly jeopardise the smooth functioning of a pension scheme, probably as much as the other non-extreme risks.