All Features articles – Page 147
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Features
Asset allocation
Equities Investors are more bullish on US and UK equity markets and more bearish on Japan, Asia, and euro-zone equities. Asia experienced the biggest decline in sentiment; with the number of investors predicting a rise in Asian equities falling 10%. Asia had been the one bright spot in terms ...
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Features
Not another dagger?
The recent paper from the UK Accounting Standards Board (ASB) was described by Aon Consulting as “another dagger in the side of final salary pensions”. But when is a dagger not a dagger? Apparently, when an organisation or even an individual does something to draw attention to the increasingly unsustainable ...
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Features
Volatility causes flight to non-correlated assets
Recent volatility has caused a flight to non-correlated assets, according to exchange-traded commodity (ETC) provider ETF Securities (ETFS). ETFS said it continued to see sharp growth in ETCs, with its total assets under management growing 32% in January to over $3.3bn (€2.3bn). This demand is a result of investors wanting ...
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FeaturesStrategically speaking: Finles Capital Management
Finles Capital Management, a Dutch investment management boutique based in Utrecht, is unusual for at least two reasons.
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FeaturesCommission issues two surveys in fight for pensions portability
More artillery has arrived on the battleground where the EU is still fighting for pan-European legislation on the portability of supplementary, non-state pensions for employees. The weapons recently wheeled into place by the European Commission takes the form of two heavyweight studies. These include existing national business practices, measures of ...
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FeaturesThe consulting kaleidoscope
Investment consultants, asset managers and investment banks are increasingly operating on each other’s territory. Rachel Fixsen charts the overlapping boundaries in the advice market and canvasses views on how potential conflicts of interest can be managed
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Features
Headaches continue
Yield curve/duration While the US Federal Reserve has already begun to chop rates down - a remarkable 125 bps in the space of eight days - the European Central Bank (ECB) has maintained its hawkish tone and has kept its hand off the easing button. The futures markets are, however, ...
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Features
Dividing core tasks
The increasingly complexity of the pensions environment is driving trustees to look at outsourcing more of their fund services. Rachel Fixsen reports
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FeaturesETF trading volumes soar on market turbulence
Trading volumes of exchange-traded funds (ETF) soared to three times their normal level during the late January credit crunch, according to Barclays Global Investors’ ETF arm iShares.
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Features
A false sense of security
Nearly half of the Swedish public is labouring under a misconception about how money in their first pillar pension scheme is invested, according to a recent survey. The Premium Pensions Authority (PPM) runs the DC portion of Sweden’s first pillar provision. How the 2.5% of salary directed into it is ...
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Features
Fiduciary roles
Fiduciary management is now established in the Netherlands, but what role do consultants play when a fiduciary is appointed? Pirkko Juntunen investigated
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Features
Traded Life Policy Fund index shows sector growth
The newly launched Traded Life Policy Fund index reported a 108.5% growth in the collective size of the funds it monitors in the 12 months to 1 November 2007. The combined assets under management rose to $405.2m (€277m) from $194.35m, or around $17.57m a month. The index tracks the size ...
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FeaturesGaps in the landscape
While the authorities hope the new OPF vehicle will attract foreign pension funds to base themselves in Belgium, the domestic second pillar is not as robust as it should be, George Coats finds
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FeaturesHands off the tiller
Belgium was without a government for the second half of last year. Did anybody notice? George Coats investigates
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Features
Key steps in tandem
The coming months will see crucial developments in the areas of bearer securities, Belgium’s new pensions vehicle and the Target2 Securities project, says Heather McKenzie
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Features
Preparing for settlement migration
This year could be a watershed for settlement in Europe. The European Central Bank (ECB) will decide in July whether to procede with the development of its euro-zone settlement system, Target2 Securities (T2S). Meanwhile, international central securities depository (ICSD) Euroclear plans to finish the roll-out of Euronext zone securities (Eses). ...
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Features
New products
Emerging markets ETFs ETF provider iShares has launched two new ETFs on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The iShares JPMorgan $ Emerging Markets Bond fund offers access to US dollar-denominated sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds issued by emerging market countries in ETF form. The iShares S&P Emerging Markets Infrastructure fund is ...
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FeaturesOverdue for an overhaul
International accounting standards have served pensions accounting well, but it is time for an update, argues Andrew Lennard
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Features
Has spring sprung?
Frogspawn, tadpoles, catkins, ladybirds, snowdrops and nest-building rooks are just a few signs that spring has sprung early this year. Indeed, some scientists are convinced that the traditional European winter is a thing of the past, such has been the impact of global warming. The investment climate has been rather ...
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Features
Taking a stake
The typical shareholder does not like underperforming companies. However, where he only sees loss of profits, others see an opportunity.
