All Features articles – Page 78
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Features
Diary of an Investor: No magic bullet
The good 2014 return of Wasserdicht’s Dutch fund was less down to asset allocation and mostly driven by high hedge ratios, writes investment director Pieter Mullen
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Features
Private equity fund performance: Cash today or growth tomorrow?
Pierre Garnier assesses if and when an investor should seek to sell a private equity fund interest
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Features
Regulation roundup: Europe’s changing pensions
Overview of main regulatory and legislative developments affecting workplace pensions across Europe
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Features
In search of a square circle
The Dutch are undertaking a major overhaul of their pensions system. ‘Again?’ you might ask. After all, the Dutch have been tinkering with their system for years, drafting and rejecting one daring redesign after another, while engaging in bickering over the best way to modernise and ‘future-proof’ their slightly outdated, second pillar.
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Features
The ‘Japanisation’ of the economy
Martial Godet and Ankit Gheedia warn that their indicators show the rest of the world sliding into ‘Japanisation’ – just as Japan is escaping it
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Features
OECD research: A focus on long-term opportunities
The OECD’s recent survey of large pension funds shows that despite increased interest in alternative investments, there has been less traction in areas like direct infrastructure.
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Features
Frontier Markets: Surprisingly mature
While frontier markets are now the same size as emerging markets in 1995, in other respects they look like emerging markets circa 2005. Asha Mehta warns investors not to miss out on further turbo-charged convergence
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Features
Research - Pension Funds: The progression of smart risking
In this final article on a new survey, Pierre Cailleteau and Amin Rajan conclude that improved risk management is the most enduring legacy of the global financial crisis
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FeaturesHow we run our money: Publica
Carlo Svaluto Moreolo talks to Publica’s deputy CIO Patrick Uelfeti about the fund’s approach to asset management
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Features
IPE-Fundo: UK Pension Indices
The new IPE-Fundo UK pension index series gives trustees and pension funds a reliable, transparent and free composite benchmark against which to assess the performance of their scheme
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Features
From our perspective: What do you need to shout about?
A recent trend in European occupational pensions has been towards increased transparency on costs – for instance, in the Netherlands and Switzerland. So for numerous European pension funds, measuring and presenting asset management cost data has become standard, even if the task seemed daunting for some at the outset. In Switzerland, managers unable to provide a total expense ratio are named in a separate ‘blacklist’ on the annual report
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Features
Pensions Accounting: A busy year scheduled
Another year, another 12 months of pensions accounting change and uncertainty. By any guess, 2015 promises to be a busy year for both defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) pension plan sponsors.
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Features
Asset Allocation Fixed Income, Rates, Currencies: The big picture
Markets seem worried there is too much consensus around, and are nervously looking for hidden dangers. The bond market has sensibly priced in rate rises from the US Federal Reserve later this year but financial markets are generally still relying on plenty of loose money from elsewhere – namely, the European Central Bank (ECB) and Bank of Japan.
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Features
Holistic Balance Sheet: Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) is often seen as the bogeyman of the industry, and many criticise even the smallest point put forward by the team surrounding chairman Gabriel Bernardino in Frankfurt.
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Features
Diary of an Investor: When bigger isn’t better
These days, we at Wasserdicht Pension Funds are something of a rarity as the asset management bureau of a standalone company pension fund. Many of our brethren in the Netherlands have merged with a larger industry scheme or outsourced their investments to a fiduciary manager.
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Features
High Yield Bonds Commentary: Happy to be bullish contrarians
Louis Cohen believes fundamentals remain firmly in place for spread compression in high-yield and explains why his team is unconcerned about being contrarians in this market
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Features
Briefing - Switzerland: Guided choices
Some Swiss pension funds are introducing a degree of individual investment choice. Barbara Ottawa assesses progress so far
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Features
Briefing - Netherlands: Towards Dutch sustainability
Nine pension specialists* outline a model for the future of the Dutch pension system
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Features
Briefing: Pension Funds and ETFs, Still in the future
Exchange traded product providers claim improving costs make them better than derivatives or traditional passive solutions for both tactical and strategic investment. Brian Bollen finds Europe’s pension funds yet to be fully convinced
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Features
Briefing: Energy Investments, Oil plunge shakes up shale
Seven months of plunging crude prices has devastated cash flow projections of the US’s nascent shale oil production industry. But David Turner finds investors looking for bargains, especially among less-exposed infrastructure providers
