Spain & Portugal: Pensions and Investment News and Analysis
Latest news and analysis of pensions, asset management, regulation and trends in Spain and Portugal from our award-winning journalists.
Portugal: Social security surplus funds pension boost
The Socialist government aims to reduce pensioner poverty but faces considerable demographic hurdles
Spain: New regulation introduces lifestyling
Government pushes through legislation package before elections last July
Portuguese pension funds return -11.4% for calendar year 2022
Average gains of 1.5% in the final quarter of 2022 took Portuguese pension funds to an average -11.4% return for the 12 months to 31 December 2022.
Country Report – Pensions in Spain & Portugal (November 2022)
In Spain, the pension sector is giving a cautious thumbs up to workplace pension reform plans, even if they fall short of the industry’s wish list. Top of that list was mandatory auto-enrolment, which won’t now happen. But the planned national so-called Macro-fondo ‘super fund’ has met with general approval. It will be managed by the private sector but supervised by a control committee comprising government, employer and union representatives.
IPE Conference: Risk of economic decline is weighing on central banks
Inflation getting stuck above 2% is going to be a problem everywhere, says BBVA’s Jorge Sicilia
COVID recovery sparks 13% return for Spanish funds
For the first time, equities have become the largest individual domestic asset class
Spanish government planning auto-enrolment pension system
The new Spanish public pension fund will be government-sponsored but privately run in terms of fund management and administration
Spanish funds end 2020 on upswing with 1.5% return
Q4 figures brought the average annualised return for Spanish occupational funds to 2.54% for the five-year period
New law ups governance requirements in Portugal
Portuguese occupational pension funds returned an average 5.9% over the second quarter of 2020
Sharp rebound in Q2 for Spanish pension funds
The median return from April to June was 5.2%, with some funds achieving around 9%, and no funds reporting negative returns
Portugal: Low savings rates heighten long-term challenges
A new flexible pension regime will encourage members to retire early
Amundi completes Sabadell Asset Management acquisition
Acquisition adds around €21bn to Amundi’s assets under management
Iberia roundup: Spanish funds make ‘significant’ recovery after March rout
Plus: Portuguese funds pull back -8.1% Q1 loss
Portuguese pension funds return 8.2% before COVID-19 hit
Schemes had an allocation to debt of up to 64% in 2019
Pensions Caixa 30 appoints new chair
Noteworthy appointment in the pension industry due to the chair’s derivatives-focused background
Spain: The tide turns
Investors hope that this month’s general election brings much needed stability to a faltering economy
Portugal: In search of higher yield
Asset allocation strategies remain largely unchanged and the search for yield broadens out
Gulbenkian Foundation: Green credentials
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is realigning its portfolio to meet green requirements
Spain: Unintended outcomes
Spain has experienced recent constitutional turmoil, yet it is the politics of Italy that is troubling pension funds. How will this affect asset allocation?
Portugal: The success story
Portugal is an example of how a bailout can turn around a nation’s finances. Sovereign debt has returned to investment grade and is popular again with domestic pension funds
Shareholders for Change gives voice to Europe’s small investors
New association of small institutional investors wants to tackle niche ESG topics
Spanish pension fund returns diverge amid troubled domestic markets
Basque Country’s Geroa Pentsioak gains 10% but Pensions Caixa 30 manages just 1.8% return
Iberian roundup: Portuguese funds boosted by government bond gains
Plus: Grupo Catalana Occidente creates pension fund manager
Risk management high on Portuguese pension funds' radar - WTW
Q3 returns benefit from strong run in equities, euro-denominated bonds
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