Strategy
Get the latest news on pension fund and investor strategies, plus in-depth analysis of industry successes and tactical U-turns
Latest news
AP4 resets long-term scenarios amid US trade worries
Swedish pensions buffer fund CEO sees political environment remaining problematic for years
Fondo Gomma Plastica to create equity mandate investing in Italy
The scheme is working on the equity mandate with other pension funds joining as part of a consortium
Finland’s Elo cites hedge funds, listed equities as Q1 drivers
Pensions insurer makes 6.5% return on hedge funds as weighting increases in portfolio
Cassa Forense boosts total assets to €17.63bn
The pension fund for lawyers in Italy tightened the grip on costs as the number of members decreased by 1.3% year-on-year in 2023
Swiss pension funds hold onto private equity investments
Schemes stick to strategic quotas, pushing back on government plans to support local economy
Manager selection: Solving the pension liquidity puzzle
Advisers and fiduciary managers are working as hard as ever to meet the liquidity needs of pension funds
Ahold Delhaize pension fund on climate transition and system change
Eric Huizing, chief investment officer at Ahold Delhaize Pensioen, explains to Tjibbe Hoekstra how the pension fund is progressing not only with its climate-focused investments but also the change in the Dutch pension system
Pension funds revisit allocations to China
European pension funds have reduced their allocations to China as the outlook for the country’s economy becomes more uncertain
Can Alecta overcome its woes after further embarrassing blunders?
A new investment leadership team is seeking to draw a line under the continuing governance debacle at the €110bn Swedish pension giant and will reset the investment strategy
Mansion House Compact: spotlight on Phoenix
Sam Tufts, head of strategy and solutions in asset management team at Phoenix, spoke to IPE about the group’s plan to extend its private markets experience for DC
US pension plans wrestle with China private market exposure
After a horrible 2023, Chinese stocks look cheap and attractive. But most US pension funds do not seem interested in investing in the Chinese stock market. On the contrary, they have reduced their holdings since 2020 and some are exiting entirely, according to Bloomberg analysis.
Why General Electric’s pension management model has finally passed its prime
The late Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric for two decades until 2001, was not only a legendary businessman who grew GE’s market cap 30-fold over his tenure. He also inspired a minor revolution in pension fund management that dates back to the days of mainframe computers and telex machines.
AI’s future in investment management is evolutionary
The explosion of ChatGPT-style large language models (LLMs) has ignited a heated debate over the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in investment management and its role in institutional investor portfolios. However, amid the noise, a groundbreaking application of AI has quietly arisen, which has the potential to revolutionise the industry.
Mansion House Compact: spotlight on NEST
NEST joined the Mansion House Compact in July 2023 as one of the first signatories, committing to allocating at least 5% of its default funds to unlisted equities by 2030
DWS avoids using the term 'impact' for its investment products
DWS will continue to consider ’engagement’ as an important tool when discussing sustainability and ESG issues
Swiss APK to review investment strategy, sustainability approach
The scheme plans to cover further asset classes with existing sustainability strategy
Swedish funds agency gives peek at terms of next tender
Nordic equities mandates will have tracking error limit of 4% against category benchmark, FTN reveals, but still gives no date for upcoming tender
Round table: Manager selection priorities for 2024
IPE asked eight manager research business leaders: what will be the three most important topics or trends in manager selection over the next 12 months and beyond?
Swedish funds agency unveils first tender results, most winners are Nordic
Abrdn and JPMorgan are only two non-Nordic asset managers out of six successful bidders for SEK11bn of European equity provision
Swedish funds agency extends deadline of second tender duo by a week
New authority procuring funds for premium pension system reacts to unexpected changes in tender documentation
Sweden launches €5bn premium pension tender for global, European index funds
Swedish Fund Selection Agency sets 18 April deadline for its second tender
Swedish funds agency expects to launch €4.8bn index tenders
Preparation for premium pension system procurements for global and European index funds now in final stages, says agency
Pension funds hold on to their equities
European pension funds are looking to maintain their equity allocations, despite an uncertain outlook for global growth
PenSam picks S&P Dow Jones Indices to tailor climate-focused index
Danish pension fund CIO says carbon budget indices, plus customisation, let fund ‘achieve our climate objectives in a credible way’
LD picks BankInvest for listed alternatives, citing quant, factor-based approach
Danish pension fund manager “pleasantly surprised” by volume of extremely high quality offers received
European investors remain sceptical on artificial intelligence impact, Invesco finds
A majority of North American and Asian investors believe, however, that traditional methods for investment analysis will be overshadowed by AI applications
Did smart beta go ‘horribly wrong’?
In 2016, we published a paper titled ‘How can ‘smart beta’ go horribly wrong?’, the first in a series on the future of factor investing and other forms of so-called smart beta. Did smart beta go horribly wrong? Yes and no.
Enpam shifts to macro portfolio strategies in new LDI approach
Italy’s largest pension scheme is splitting its assets into two macro portfolios
Grant Thornton Pensions Fund appoints Cardano as fiduciary manager
Cardano will provide services including investment advice, investment management, and risk management for the £250m scheme
Manager selection: Solving the pension liquidity puzzle
Advisers and fiduciary managers are working as hard as ever to meet the liquidity needs of pension funds
Case study: Caja de Ingenieros Gestion - The rise of smart beta
The Spanish pension provider Caja de Ingenieros Gestion serves more than 215,000 members, predominantly from the Spanish engineering sector, using an investment style based on independent analysis, with a bottom-up approach.
Smart beta pioneer reignites debate on factor timing
Research Affiliates founder Rob Arnott finds ‘most factors look very cheap’ in a new paper highlighting the attractiveness of many equity factor strategies
Viewpoint: Alternative risk premia strategies stand tall amid turmoil
While bond and equity markets have been pummeled in 2022, Alternative Risk Premia strategies have at last been able to demonstrate their diversification prowess. Will this year’s performance restore investor confidence in these strategies after the painful results of 2020?
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