Latest from IPE Magazine – Page 674
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Features
ABP ups premiums to protect fund
ABP, the e146bn Dutch civil service pension fund, has announced that it will raise the rate of contributions from employers and employees from 13% to 15%, as a result of weak stock markets. Fernando Jadoul, ABP’s director of public affairs, said: “After looking at the scheme’s financial position, we felt ...
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Features
'Avoid fashion' advice for funds
The head of the E2.4bn pension scheme for UK airport operator BAA says pension administrators should not follow fashion and try to work out their requirements for themselves. “Don’t be a dedicated follower of fashion, think about it, and work it out for yourself,” is BAA Pension Fund director Stuart ...
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Features
Portuguese improvement
A change in asset allocation by Portuguese pension funds has resulted in an improvement in returns in the third quarter, according to consultant Watson Wyatt. Median returns from the country’s segregated funds for the third quarter were –2.4% from -3.2% the previous quarter. The third quarter was a difficult period ...
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Features
Sinking under weight of words
The European Council of Ministers adopted its so-called “common position” on the pensions directive on November 5 last year. The 43-page document is currently going through its second reading at the European Parliament. While parliament mulls over the document this winter, it is helpful to examine exactly what the Council ...
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Features
Fund managers up in arms
To say that the German government’s tax initiatives have not been well-received is to put it mildly. Just three months after being narrowly re-elected, the German government has managed to slip 22 percentage points behind the opposition in opinion polls following a series of proposed tax reforms. But the German ...
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Features
Waiting for the big switch
We implement tactical asset allocation strategy as a total-return overlay that enhances strategic portfolio returns. Short-term asset prices are more influenced by ‘sentiment’ than by ‘fair value’. Our approach is to identify fundamental trends not fully reflected in the market consensus today. This means looking for existing imbalances that need ...
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Features
Muddle through scenario
Every one of our investment decisions – from the strategic allocation of assets between equities and fixed-income securities to the choice of individual securities – is based on a combination of macro and micro economic information. When assessing macro-economic trends, we attach great importance to the information we receive on ...
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Features
Drag factors on recovery
With the continued threat of war in the Middle East hanging over the markets stalling a full-scale recovery, analysts agree that Europe’s equity markets still can’t find real stability, despite some relatively good trading recently and the ECB’s larger than expected 50 basis point interest rate cut. Many predict that ...
