Hurt by mark-to-market losses and exercising caution in the face of an unforgiving investment environment, sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) made only 26 investments, worth $6.8 billion, in the first quarter of 2009 – their lowest deployment of capital since the fourth quarter of 2005.
Caisse pulls out of risky real estate after $5 billion write-down
Canada’s largest pension fund manager, the C$120 billion ($108 billion) Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, has restructured its real estate group and ceased investing in the mezzanine and subordinated loans sector after suffering more than $4.5 billion in losses on its real estate and private equity portfolio in the first half of the year.
….. as 14-member international advisory board named
The CIC has named a 14-member International Advisory Council, which will advise the board and senior management on issues including portfolio development, strategy, and overseas investments.
CIC to invest cash, as global portfolio returns – 2.1 % for the year…
CIC is poised to invest more than 80 per cent of the assets still allocated to cash in its $100 billion global portfolio, as it outlined in its first annual report to stakeholders it”cannot achieve its goals without productively deploying its capital”.
Taking the long view
Governments are among the few agencies that can help the private sector hedge against the increasing problem of aggregate longevity risk. David Blake, Tom Boardman, Andrew Cairns and Kevin Dowd from the Pensions Institute at Cass Business School urge governments to issue longevity bonds as soon as possible
UK funds lead charge on ESG
The £3.6 billion ($5.9 billion) London Pensions Fund Authority has recently beefed up its internal environmental, social and governance capabilities, resulting in more effective engagement, including with the Mayor of London. Kristen Paech talks to chief executive Mike Taylor about LPFA’s short, medium and long-term objectives for ESG and why the fund has taken matters into its own hands
