Oscar Volder
- IP Asia
Inflation-linked bonds set to make a come-back
With the government planning to issue ¥300bn ($3bn) worth of notes in October after a five year absence from the primary market
- IP Asia
Another financial scandal brewing?
The use of off-shore vehicles to channel investments by Japanese pension funds unveiled not only the vulnerability to domiciles with light regulations
- IP Asia
'Abenomics' - all set to fire up Japan?
Japanese financial markets started the year on a high note as the newly-formed government led by Shinzo Abe started announcing the measures to support their pre-election pledge of leading the Japanese economy back to growth.
- IP Asia
A watershed year for the occupational pension system
Looking back on 2012, the year has been even more of a watershed year for the Japanese occupational pension system than was already foreseen in the past
- IP Asia
Commercial real estate may be bottoming out
Japan seems to be finding its way back on the radar screens of international real estate investors after a prolonged period of doldrums on the back of the 2008 financial crisis and the Japan-specific earthquake and nuclear-scare of last year.
- IP Asia
Putting a spotlight on infrastructure investing
Mitsubishi in 2011 famously teamed up with Global Infrastructure Partners, a fund sponsored by Credit Suisse and General Electric and owner of such trophy assets as the London City Airport
- IP Asia
How words can lose their meaning
Many Japanese pension funds are appreciating that a large part of their solvency risk lies with them having an investment portfolio that deviates from the portfolio of GPIF.
- IP Asia
How smart is your beta ?
As Japanese investors continue to assess what conclusions to draw from the financial crisis, the concept of “smart beta” is drawing attention from an increasing number of pension funds.
- IP Asia
The contrarian approach works
Pension Fund client seminars are an essential activity for asset management companies operating in Japan. They allow firms to introduce investment solution ideas to an audience eager to study best practice and obtain guidance on their investment strategy.
- IP Asia
Pension tides start to ebb
A modest downturn in equity markets for funds with a shrinking asset base leads to a trap with no other final result but cash-out.
- IP Asia
Dynamic allocation strategies on the rise
Assumptions underlying the orthodox static approach to asset allocation are being questioned in an environment where pension funds are forced to be ever more concerned about the volatility in their funding ratio.
- IP Asia
Politics weigh heavy on GPIF diversification plan
Perhaps developments in financial markets have played a role in bringing GPIF to step up at least its research effort into non-listed equity and infrastructure, as possible alternative investment categories.
- IP Asia
Giant insurers take a step towards public life
Few casual observers would have thought that this year the biggest IPO globally would occur in Japan. Fewer still that it would be an insurance company making its debut on the stock exchange.
- IP Asia
Japanese real estate update
by Oscar Volder - In the unlisted segment of the market, some pension fund investors were approached with the request to add capital to their investment in order not to lose all of the initially invested equity.
- IP Asia
Adapting to inefficient markets
A new approach to equity investing is drawing attention from some of the more sophisticated Japanese pension funds
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Capital flows could benefit emerging markets
Booming prices for emerging assets would lower the cost of capital for emerging market based corporations strengthening their competitive advantage versus developed market peers and reinforcing a benign spiral of value creation.
- IP Asia
Funds consider the idea of currency alpha
The fundamental question as to whether or not to hedge has been the subject of ample empirical research with some degree of consensus that non-base currency exposure in the long term does not come with a positive expected return, whilst it does entail incremental risk.
- IP Asia
Japanese infrastructure looks to private finance
Infrastructure can meet the long term liabilities of pension funds while private finance can take the burden off state finances. Japan is now seeing the potential of combining the two
- IP Asia
Renewable energy - a light in the gloom
Technologies for the development of solar, wind, biomass and hydro are now well-established and proven, reducing risks for investors in power generation assets based on these technologies.
