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Stanford dumps coal: why divestment doesn’t work

The decision by the Stanford University endowment to divest from coal stocks might produce some positive PR, but from an investment perspective it’s only making them worse off, says Andrew Ang, professor of finance at Columbia University, who says the move prompts the bigger question of what the purpose of a university endowment actually is. […]
Amanda WhiteFebruary 20, 2015
Research

Cost shifting and the freezing of corporate pension plans

This paper, which examines the impact of the trend in the US of corporate funds freezing their defined benefit funds and offering defined contribution plans, shows that net of the increase in total DC contributions, firms save 2.7-3.6 per cent of payroll per year, and over a 10-year horizon they save 3.1 per cent of […]
Amanda WhiteApril 24, 2014
Research

Investor pitfalls in setting up a satellite office

As part of the broader trend to become professional organisations, pension funds and soverieng wealth funds are expanding geographically with the establishment of satellite offices. This expansion raises concerns of governance, culture, politics and talent. This paper looks at the case studies from 12 funds that have launched or considering launching satellite offices and offers […]
Amanda WhiteFebruary 21, 2014
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