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FIS Stanford 2023
Politics rivals profits for portfolio influence, says Bridgewater co-CIO
Bridgewater co-CIO Greg Jensen said government policy has steadily increased in influence over the economy and portfolio construction over the past 20 years and now outstrips the importance of private sector incentives. He says the pace of deglobalisation is a key trend for institutional investors to keep abreast of.
FIS Stanford 2023
‘New energy system’, not transition, needed to reach net zero
More than $4 trillion a year in investment is needed over the next 30 years to meet the goal of net zero by 2050, asset owners have been told. Arun Majumdar, dean of Stanford University’s school of sustainability describes it as the “defining challenge and opportunity of the 21st century”
FIS Stanford 2023
It’s actions not words that count in the energy transition
Investors that want to address the low carbon transition as a potential investment theme should build an investment process that helps them focus on tangible investments being made by companies, not just pledges made on paper, the Fiduciary Investors Symposium at Stanford University has heard.
FIS Stanford 2023
The hands and feet of AI and the renewable energy transition
A foundation stone of the transition to renewable energy - semiconductors - is paradoxically a major contributor to the problem it’s helping to solve. How asset owners think about investing in a solution that is also part of the problem is a challenging and complex task.
FIS Stanford 2023
AI could be ‘as big as the internet’ for investors
After a slow and steady research and development phase, the “big bang” moment of last year’s ChatGPT launch will kick off a slew of innovations that could rival the internet for their profitable application to investible businesses, says tech equity analyst Owen Hyde of Jennison Associates.
FIS Stanford 2023
How science is literally changing how we see the world
Breakthroughs in understanding the function of the brain have opened up a host of possibilities for expanding humanity’s perception of the world around us – and investable commercial opportunities one of Stanford University’s most esteemed scientists told delegates at Fiduciary Investors Symposium.
Featured Story
Pension CIOs re-evaluate China exposure
The CIOs of three global pension schemes have told the 2023 Fiduciary Investors Symposium they are re-evaluating or reducing their exposure to the world’s second largest economy as tensions between the US and China escalate. But they are resisting total divestment to a country that still dominates emerging markets benchmarks.
Investor Profile
Railpen: Fiduciary management in practice
Railpen has combined its fiduciary and risk management roles enhancing the fiduciary element across investment strategy and developing a risk model that fits better with the long-term thinking of a pension fund explains Mads Gosvig, the fund's chief officer, fiduciary and investment management.
Sustainability
CalSTRS positions to take advantage of energy transition
CalSTRS has recognised the unique opportunity presented by the energy transition needs a unique response and its Sustainable Investment and Stewardship Strategies (SISS) portfolio has been specifically positioned to invest in opportunities that fall between private equity and infrastructure asset class buckets.
Sustainability
USS outlines new climate scenarios for improved investment decision-making
USS and the University of Exeter have outlined new climate scenarios that focus on short term, real world impacts and are more useful for investors. USS will use them to develop a long-term investment outlook and top-down portfolio construction.
Sustainability
Politicisation of ESG a ‘constructive dialogue’: Mercer’s Rich Nuzum
The discourse around ESG investing may be “messy” but Mercer’s global chief investment strategist, Rich Nuzum, says media and political scrutiny can help sharpen the focus of pensions and sovereigns on their objectives and duties.
Sustainability
Net zero: engagement and renewable energy investments pay off at USS
The UK’s largest private pension fund, USS has made ground on its path to net zero with effective engagement, measuring the Scope 3 emissions of its corporate assets and bottom-up carbon analysis focused on transition risk in emerging market equities. But investors need policy makers to do much more.
Featured Story
Why City of Austin goes evergreen in first private markets foray
With a new funded policy in place, CIO David Kushner is building a new private markets allocation at COAERS. He explains why private credit evergreen investments make a good starting point for a new private markets allocation that will make up 10 per cent of the fund.
Asset Allocation
Penn PSERS trims leverage, adds fixed income and hones in on fees
The $71.9 billion Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System has reduced net leverage, added fixed income and continues to shave costs off its external investment management fees, mostly by reducing private allocations. The trimming and shifting of the portfolio is part of an adjusted SAA responding to ongoing market changes.
Investor Profile
Future Fund jolts out of ‘set and forget’ mode
Australia’s sovereign wealth fund has handed mandates to external active managers and built a dedicated treasury management function, six years after going all-in on passive index strategies. It is is also on the hunt for early stage venture opportunities as it continues to forecast challenging conditions and higher persistent inflation.
Featured Story
India’s NIIF: A poster child for development finance
Sujoy Bose played a central role in setting up India's celebrated sovereign development fund, the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund. He explains how NIFF's governance combines a perfect combination of sovereign comfort for investors seeking Indian exposure alongside the discipline and freedom to hunt returns.
Stanford 2018
FIS Stanford Photo Gallery
View photos from the 2018 Fiduciary Investors Symposium, held at Stanford University, United States.
Stanford 2018
China’s enticing, challenging market
Inefficient markets and an explosion of technological innovation fuelled by Millennial consumers make China a tantalising prospect but accessing strong returns there isn’t as simple as it looks.
Stanford 2018
Protecting human capital helps everyone
Investors have plenty to gain from helping to protect human rights in supply chains and managing the human costs during technological disruption and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Stanford 2018
How to follow megatrends to success
The big themes that will fuel growth in coming decades are interconnected and subject to change. An expert panel gave advice on riding societal change to outperformance.
Stanford 2018
How the active complements the passive
Investors discuss the various ways that two styles often presented as if they are enemies in fact work hand in hand across portfolios to produce returns.
Asset Allocation
How Railpen keeps illiquid asset allocation on track
New research on private markets at Railpen has produced a framework that focuses on scenario planning and the uncertainty inherent in illiquid investments taking account of “portfolio steerability”, allocation drift and the impact on short-term liquidity management resulting in a more dynamic approach.
Investor Profile
Cashflows and risk management drive PSP Investments
The risk of a deficit is a key driver in the management of PSP Investments as it looks to build resilience and cashflows in its portfolio. Amanda White spoke to CIO Eduard van Gelderen.
Risk
Cash rate scenario analysis drives asset allocation reset at Maryland
The asset allocation of the $63 billion Maryland State Pension System has protected the fund on the downside. But now CIO Andrew Palmer is looking at cash rates persistently of 4 per cent, what that means for various asset classes and how the fund should be allocating.
Investor Profile
Montreal’s TCC: When a different world view pays off
Montreal-based Trans Canada Capital fuses its pension fund roots with the ethos of a relative value hedge fund for a unique investment approach that hunts uncorrelated alpha across the entire portfolio. Sarah Rundell speaks to two senior portfolio managers about their unique approach.
Investor Profile
What drives success at CPP Investments’ giant PE portfolio
Size and scale are not always advantages. Against the backdrop of tougher market conditions, CPP Investments' global head of private equity Suyi Kim says successfully managing what could be the world’s largest private equity allocation a program will depend on successfully managing the large team.
Investor Profile
South Africa’s EPPF builds resilience in governance-focused strategy
South Africa's EPPF wants to increase its allocation to private equity and venture capital to help ride out volatility at home in a strategy where governance and stakeholder engagement is central. CEO Shafeeq Abrahams explains.
Strategy
UK industry pushes back on government talk to invest more at home
Policy makers in the UK are suggesting pension funds invest more at home to support economic growth, but investment executives at the funds say it's not that simple.
Investor Profile
Future Fund sceptical on correlations
The Future Fund, Australia’s A$226 billion sovereign wealth fund, has embarked on an ambitious project instigated during the crisis which includes re-examining its investment assumptions, risk tolerance and the way it allocates capital. Amanda White talks to the fund’s new CIO, Sue Brake about where the fund will be allocating in the future including alternatives and active management.