Special Reports
In-depth reports on investing for our pension fund and asset management readers from our award-winning journalists.
Latest Special Reports
ESG Guide 2023: The future of sustainable finance
With or without the backlash against ESG in the US, big questions have been looming over the sustainable finance industry – like ‘is sustainable finance working?’.
ETFs Guide 2023: Innovation challenges concentration as investors spread their ETF wings
ETFs’ steep upward trajectory continues, driven, as industry participants note, by their low cost, simplicity, and flexibility as an allocation tool. Globally the value of assets invested in ETFs, some $10.7trn (€10trn) at the end of August 2023, is 17.5% higher than at the same point in 2022, according to consultancy ETFGI. In Europe the increase was greater, at 20.8%, but from a much smaller base, with total investment in ETFs now standing at $1.7trn, with the lower take-up still being attributed to less favourable tax treatment.
AI special report: Could investment management be transformed?
While many foresee a variety of roles for artificial intelligence, critics believe it has a limited role in crucial asset management activities
Top 1000 Pension Funds 2023: Europe’s pensions absorb a €646bn loss
Last year saw a net reduction in the asset stock of European pension investment retirement pools of 6.77% over the previous year, according to IPE’s annual study of the leading 1,000 pension funds across the continent, marking a sea change for pensions.
Asia Investment - Special Report
In this month’s special report on Asia, IPE’s private markets editor Lauren Mills analyses why global institutional investors are setting their sights on Asia. The combination of strong fundamentals and a lack of correlation with the European and North American economies make the region’s private assets particularly attractive. Investors are particularly hungry for infrastructure assets as well as the region’s fast-growing digital infrastructure.
IPE Top 500 Asset Managers 2023: Asset management at a pivotal point
Data highlights from IPE Top 500 Asset Managers 2023 2022 global asset management AUM is €102.6trn 5.5% reduction on the 2022 total of €108.6trn Global institutional AUM: €35.1trn European institutional assets: €11.5trn Click for the Global Top 500 and European Top 120 institutional asset manager rankings
Special Report – Outlook: Europe and the world
Inflation may be losing momentum, thanks to vigorous central bank action, but with a recession on the horizon, it is hard to tell whether the next few months and years will see markets turn around and risk assets begin to perform again. For the time being, CIOs argue for selectivity in stock selection and generally agree that bonds have resumed their diversification role. The main article in our Outlook report features the views of influential CIOs and strategists on asset allocation for the next few years.
Briefing – Regulation
In Frankfurt, EIOPA has responded to the European Commission’s call for technical advice in its stocktake on IORP II, the European framework for occupational pensions. EIOPA proposes widening the scope of IORP II in a pivot away from cross-border pensions and towards sustainability. A consultation process is open until 25 May.
Manager selection: UK fiduciary management
Does fiduciary management still stack up as scheme funding improves?
Special Report – Natural capital
Incorporating nature risk into financial analysis remains the - for now elusive - goal for investors, but this is hard given the lack of consensus on what information should be collected and how it should be presented. Such questions are the domain of the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), the group founded in 2021. As well as striving for transparency and consistency in data disclosure, asset owners are also keen to deter inflated and exaggerated claims by asset managers on biodiversity impacts.
UK pension risk transfer market set for bumper 2023
Improved pricing and funding levels turned 2022 into a busy year for insurers, with more demand expected in 2023. But can they cope with the higher demand and will pricing remain competitive?
Special Report – DC pensions
Workplace pensions can differentiate themselves by their stewardship and engagement programmes. But effective stewardship is generally the preserve of larger defined benefit players and big investment managers. Now, technology means investors in smaller pooled funds can express their proxy voting preferences, shifting the power away from the managers and towards asset owners.
Special Report – Prospects 2023
The past year will be remembered as one of the most challenging for institutional investors ever. The outlook for 2023 is brighter, if anything because valuations of major asset classes have come back to historical levels.
Special Report – ESG
Our report looks at the ESG through the prism of private markets, with coverage of SFDR and an interview with Anner Follèr, head of sustainability at Sweden’s national private equity investor AP6
ETFs Guide 2022: Better tax treatment could prompt European ETF takeoff
First the good news: Globally, investment in ETFs continues to surge, with the first half of 2022 seeing the second highest inflows on record. The flexibility and ease of access they offer helped them play an instrumental role achieving the highest volume fixed income trading day being recorded in June, as $58bn of assets were moved from EM debt and high yield into government bonds (see p7). This helped cement ETFs’ position as an essential tool of the fixed income ecosystem.
Special Report – Asia investment
Investors steadily withdrew from emerging Asia equity markets this year, taking nearly $30bn out of the markets in the seven months to the end of July, with six consecutive months of outflows. Tech-oriented Taiwan and South Korea were most affected and India was not unscathed.
Top 1000 Pension Funds 2022: Pension assets increase reflects 2021’s markets
The assets of the leading 1000 European pension funds increased by well over €600bn in our latest survey – a large portion of which can be attributed to strong investment returns on the back of a sustained post-COVID rebound over the course of 2021. Developed market equities returned over 30% in euro terms in 2021, compared with losses of around 4.7% in global aggregate bonds.
Special Report – Outlook
It’s hardly news that inflation is high on asset owners’ minds right now. We asked eight seasoned asset allocators, CIOs and strategists the same question: how do you rate the chances of stagflation? And what to do about it?
Top 500 Asset Managers 2022
The emergence of persistent higher inflation, China’s zero-COVID policy, stress on global supply chains, and Russia’s Ukraine war all suggest that the asset total of this year’s IPE Top 500 Asset Managers Guide represents a high water mark.
Driving change as the debate on impact evolves
It’s hard to believe, but this is IPE’s fifth annual special report dedicated to investing for impact: our first impact investing report was in 2018. What has changed since then? In some ways not much. We still have a debate about the credibility of claiming impact in public markets, where the narrative is all about stewardship in the form of engagement and voting, and we discuss the effectiveness of engagement versus divestment.
Special Report – Manager selection
With COVID-19 now under control, the business of selecting managers no longer has to deal with severe restrictions on travel and face-to-face interactions. However, the pandemic has taught investors and manager selection advisers some important lessons.
Special Report - Regulation
Europe’s flagship SFDR regime for ESG was never intended to become a fund-labelling framework. So as Susanna Rust also writes in this issue, it is a relief that the EU is now consulting on minimum requirements for Article 8 funds. In this Special Report, we look in some depth at how asset managers have embraced SFDR, taking in the broad reclassification exercise that has taken place to relabel existing funds, and the short-term risks of greenwashing. In the longer term, the hope is for much more standardisation and there are signs that this is already happening.
Special Report – Pan-European Personal Pensions
From March, the European Commission’s vision of a simple, cross-border savings product becomes a reality with the launch of the Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP). EU citizens will for the first time be able to channel savings into a long-term third-pillar product that is cost effective, simple and portable across borders.
Special Report – Sustainability & reporting
Increasing levels of ESG investing require greater transparency across the value chain, not least from companies. Enter the International Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, which will take shape this year and which is currently recruiting 11 inaugural board members.
Special Report – Prospects 2022 for European Institutional Investors
It’s all about inflation, stupid! Well, yes and no. While inflation is one of the top concerns raised by contributors to our vox-pop section on the economic outlook, growth and interest rates feature highly too. On the topic of inflation, EFG Bank’s Stefan Gerlach outlines why inventors should look at the underlying components of headline inflation numbers. We also look at the NextGenerationEU bond issuance programme, and the implications on the bond market. And energy specialist Cyril Widdershoven outlines the case for oil and gas as a transition play.
Towards Net Zero: COP26 and Beyond for Institutional Investors
The term Net Zero is becoming entrenched in political and business life as governments, banks, insurers, asset owners and, not least, corporates sign up to demanding pledges to reduce carbon emissions in the service of limiting global temperature rises to within 1.5C. Our extensive Special Report looks at Net Zero through an institutional lens, talking to leading pension funds about their climate related commitments, but covering also areas like carbon pricing, portfolio transition, blended finance and the latest investment research
Investing in China
Investors the world over are thinking about China, from Soros to Mr and Ms Main Street. Our contribution to this theme (written before the Evergrande story broke) looks at both private and public equity, where managers are looking to align portfolios with China’s long-term investment needs. From a manager selection perspective, boots plus portfolio managers on the ground were an essential ingredient for successful portfolio positioning ahead of the July regulatory crackdown.
ETFs Guide 2021: A story of scale, scope and sophistication
In tandem with continued strong inflows, which you will see illustrated in granular detail in the data supplied by research and consultancy firm ETFGI at the back of this year’s ETF Guide, the scope of ETFs’ role is broadening with the adoption of what one asset manager describes as a ‘whole portfolio’ approach.
Top 1000 Pension Funds 2021: Powering on ahead
With a gross headline increase in pension assets of over €800bn – or 9.8% – Europe’s pension fund asset pools can be said to have powered through the COVID-19 crisis, riding the market highs to bank a solid recovery.
Risk transfer: A story of pent-up demand
Next year’s transaction values could exceed 2019’s record as trustees’ attention turns to future longevity
Outlook for Europe: Shining lights for venture capital
The European venture capital market was a no-go area for institutional investors in the decade following the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s but allocations to the asset class have increased over recent years. Today, Europe’s thriving startup sector is providing lucrative investment opportunities, as we analyse in this report.
Top 500 Asset Managers 2021
IPE’s annual study of the global asset management industry compiles data from more than 500 companies globally, with insights into key business segments and overall AUM in excess of €90trn.
Special Report – Impact investing 2021
In this special report, we take a close look at how COVID-19 has impacted progress regarding SDGs and other key topics in impact investing including blended finance, impact bonds, social enterprises and ocean finance
Special Report – Manager selection
In this special report, we analyse the shift in priorities when it comes to selecting real assets and private equity managers, with ESG representing a ‘make or break’ for some investors. We also talk to two leading investors – the UK’s University Superannuation Scheme (USS) and Sweden’s Tredje AP-fonden (AP3) – about their approach to manager selection and due diligence.
Special Report – European pension regulation 2021
What are the main regulatory changes affecting Europe’s pensions sector? Our regulatory roundup takes us to key European countries to find out how regulators and politicians are planning to change pensions. This special report also looks at the review of the EU’s Non-financial Reporting directive, for which a legislative proposal is due this month, and explores the impact of Brexit on the UK de-risking market and accounting standards.
Green and social bonds: Lending with purpose
Social bond issuance rocketed in 2020 in reaction to the devastating social and economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. New issuers of social bonds – which are dedicated to employment, public health and education – included the European Commission, the Bank of China and a large number of financial institutions and corporations, as we analyse in this report. The report also looks at the role of sustainability-linked bonds in supporting climate transition strategies, and covers plans for the UK to launch its first green Gilt this year.
Special Report: European Pension Funds’ COVID Response
We also analyse how public development banks are going beyond their traditional remit, with a focus on post-COVID recovery, tackling climate change and meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Defined contribution: The engagement fallacy
The idea that successful defined contribution (DC) pension solutions require a high level of member engagement is being questioned
2021 Investment Horizons: The QE endgame
An executive board member at Fonds de réserve pour les retraites (FRR), France’s €25bn pension reserve fund, charts a way to relieve the global debt burden
Not another framework….
Inconsistencies in ESG reporting between corporates and across sectors are widely known. This patchwork quilt of reporting mirrors the array of frameworks and standards for corporate sustainability reporting.
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