The events of the last two years have demonstrated that risk management cannot afford to stop at the 95th percentile, and that risk management based solely on volatility is not sufficient. This research paper by Tim Unger, head of investment strategy at Watson Wyatt Australia and member of the global Thinking Ahead Group, considers 15 unlikely, but potentially high impact events – such as the demise of capitalism – their effect on investments and possible hedging strategies.
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The executive director of the $72 billion New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS), Thomas Lee, has been given the discretion to reallocate actively managed international equity assets into passive funds, in line with a board decision to use a blended international equity benchmark, as the fund appoints new consultants to begin from January.
For US private equity and venture capital managers, Q2 generated the best returns since the end of 2007, when listed markets began sliding, and for the first time since its introduction mark-to-market valuation methodology benefited managers, according to research from US Consultancy Cambridge Associates.
OMERS Strategic Investments, the investment entity of the $43 billion Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) focused on co-investment opportunities in private markets, has formed a long-term strategic partnership with HAS Development Corporation (HASDC) and Airport Development Corporation (ADC) to pursue airport acquisitions.
A new fund management behemoth was formed this year when Barclays Global Investors (BGI) was sold by its parent bank Barclays to BlackRock. Mergers of this sort have a patchy history. By Dr Arjuna Sittampalam, Research Associate with EDHEC-Risk and Editor, Investment Management Review, looks at the issues of how this particular alliance will fare and the wider industry implications.
Hermes Fund Managers, the investment management arm of the BT Pension Scheme in the UK, is following the charted territory of OMERS in Canada and QIC in Australia, and branching beyond the province of its principal client with the aim of being a funds manager for pension funds globally. Head of investment, Saker Nusseibeh, spoke with Amanda White about the challenges and advantages of being a pension fund-owned funds manager, and the implications for the fund.