All Features articles – Page 374
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Features
Demand for gilts looks secure
Like the rest of the world’s developed government bond markets, UK gilts have done pretty well out of the turmoil in stock markets. The yield curve has also steepened significantly, across the whole curve. The short end has benefited most as the market has re-assessed the outlook for short term ...
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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
European private equity: a full potential market
In increasingly testing financial markets, investors are looking for new sources of diversification and return. Private equity should be an integral part of their investment choices. All the reasons for growth… The private equity market in Europe is currently the beneficiary of two sets of factors that are positive ...
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Features
Towards 'social Europe'
Bruno Gabellieri believes that many of the problems of compatibility of Europe’s social protection systems could be resolved, if not at a stroke, at least without the need for complex new legislation – specifically the proposed European pensions directive. The building blocks are already there, he says. They are the ...
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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
Living in extreme times
From possible rate hikes, to open discussions about the possibilities of rate cuts, it is little wonder that market volatility remains so painfully high. Whilst many fixed income managers are bemoaning the fact that their portfolios are not long enough against respective benchmarks, it could be worse: they could be ...
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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
Hedge funds get guarded welcome
Hedge funds now represent a small but significant part of the portfolios of some of Sweden’s foundations. The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Reseach (SSF) took its first tentative steps into hedge funds last year. Bjorn Brandt, director of administration at SSF says: “To diversify foundation assets and obtain a performance ...
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Features
Why overlays are 'must haves' for funds
Currency overlay is a ‘must have’ for plan sponsors with cross border investments and processes that control risks. Currency risk has become important in today’s average pension portfolio and is increasing in importance. InterSec Research Corp., a consultant, projects pension funds globally will have one out of five dollars invested ...
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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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Features
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 ...
