Asset Allocation – Page 242
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Features
Waiting for dust to settle
The July equity crash has disrupted relative asset valuations, but it will not be possible to measure them with any confidence on a prospective basis until markets stabilise somewhat and allow us to assess the impact on the whole economy and on specific industries. The pervasive crisis of confidence prompted ...
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Features
More modest expectations
European investors have not had a very good experience investing in equities lately. One question is whether or not equities will deliver strong future returns relative to other asset classes. We have looked at this not in a tactical sense – what are returns likely to be over the next ...
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Features
Foundations on a firmer footing
Sweden’s stiftelsen, the foundations that underpin much of the country’s university research, are at a crossroads. They were charged initially with protecting and, if possible, growing their capital. They have done this successfully, more successfully perhaps than anyone expected. This is reflected in the lengths of their lifetimes, which have ...
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Features
Globalists take it with them
Until 20 years ago, expatriates were a relatively rare species. Expatriates were transferred abroad mostly to provide particular technical or management skills that were not locally available. Along with the international transfer usually came a generous reward package. Times have changed. Most multinationals nowadays employ sizeable mobile employee populations. With ...
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How Shell spreads the gospel
The Shell International group has an impressive pedigree and scale when it comes to pensions provision for its 90,000 employees across the globe. To put this into context, at the end of 2000, the group had pension assets of around $50bn (E51bn). There are in excess of 40 funded schemes ...
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Lowering the return hurdle
It has been one of the hot issues of the market and the government finally decided to do something about it. The minimum interest rate for occupational pensions in Switzerland of 4% has been seen as a huge legal constraint that was making asset manager and insurers’ lives very difficult ...
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Still signs of life
The fund management industry in Switzerland continues to be one of the most dynamic markets in Europe, despite growth of assets slowing down. According to figures published by the Swiss Fund Association (SFA), the country’s fund market didn’t attract significant inflows during last year, even though the number of new ...
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Features
Parting of the ways
The City of Zurich Pension Fund certainly belongs to the city as a wide range of local bodies use it as their pensions provider. In addition to city employees, other employers’ staffs can join whose work is of ‘special interest’ for the city, such as housing associations, explains the fund’s ...
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Features
Ready for take-off
Flaws in the fabric of the Japanese economy still mar the outlook for equities in the country. But equity strategists are now cautiously optimistic about the prospects for share prices in Japan – at least in comparison to the outlook for equity markets in the US and Europe. Hopes are ...
