February 2020

25Feb

Coronavirus fears sink stock markets in Asia

Asian stock markets opened the week sharply lower Monday amid fears the coronavirus dogging the mainland this year is spreading more broadly now. "Market jitters today are largely due to the rise in cases outside of China, especially in South Korea and Italy," wrote Tai Hui, Hong Kong-based chief market strategist, Asia, with J.P. Morgan Asset Management. According to World Health Organization data, confirmed coronavirus cases in South Korea surged to 602 from 30 over the week ended Feb....

February 25, 2020
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24Feb

Nigeria. Pension operators reduce investment in real estate to N220bn

The Pension Fund Administrators have reduced the amount of funds invested in real estate assets to N220bn as of the end of December 2019, latest figures obtained from the National Pension Commission have shown. This amounts to 2.15 per cent of the total assets of the Contributory Pension Scheme, which stood at N10.21tn during the period under review. The operators had invested N250.02bn in real estate as of the end of June 2019, PenCom stated. PenCom also disclosed...

February 24, 2020
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24Feb

‘Massive Risk’ Drives ESG Bets at $108 Billion Finnish Funds

Two of Finland’s biggest pension funds, with combined assets of $108 billion, are determined to make their portfolios carbon neutral over the next decade and a half, in a race to dodge the fallout of global warming before it’s too late. “Climate change is such a massive risk factor for companies in the future,” Anna Hyrske, head of responsible investments at Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co., said in an interview. Climate change has been on the agenda for years,...

February 24, 2020
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21Feb

Canadian pension fund Caisse posts 10.4% return in 2019

Canada's second-biggest pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) on Thursday reported average weighted returns of 10.4% in 2019, as strength in its equities portfolio offset underperformance in real estate holdings. The overall annualized returns over five and 10 years were 8.1% and 9.2% respectively, the fund said in a statement. Total assets rose to C$340 billion ($256.8 billion) as of Dec. 31, from C$310 billion a year earlier. The Caisse's real estate portfolio posted a...

February 21, 2020
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20Feb

India. ETMoney now lets users invest in NPS through its app

ETMoney has introduced an option to invest in National Pension Scheme (NPS) to help customers save on taxes and increase flow to the PFRDA controlled pension corpus.Through the feature, the fintech platform expects to double the NPS users across the country, a company spokesperson said. “India has one of the youngest working populations in the world. In a decade or two from now, we will possibly have a rising number of retirees from private sector companies,” said Santosh Navlani,...

February 20, 2020
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14Feb

Asia Hedge Funds Brace for Lean Times as Investors Stay Away

Asia-based hedge funds are bracing for a lean quarter of capital raising as the spread of the coronavirus leads to the postponement and cancellation of key events that have historically drawn Western investors to the region. London-headquartered Albourne Partners Ltd., a consultancy that advises pensions, university endowments and foundations that invest a combined $550 billion in alternative investments, including hedge funds, said it’s seen at least 10 of its clients cancel trips to Asia in coming weeks, according to...

February 14, 2020
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14Feb

Canadian defined benefit pension plans generated second-highest returns in a decade: RBC Investor & Treasury Services

To mark the end of a decade characterized by fintech disruptors, geopolitical tensions and regulatory changes, Canadian defined benefit pension plans returned 14.0 per cent in 2019, according to the RBC Investor & Treasury Services All Plan Universe. This was the second highest annual return over the past 10 years, in large part due to an upsurge in Canadian and global equity markets. "Over the past 10 years, the average Canadian Defined Benefits plan has generated an annualized return...

February 14, 2020
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11Feb

Zimbabwe pension funds to invest offshore

During an inaugural insurance and pensions industry breakfast meeting yesterday, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said Parliament would receive the Pensions and Provident Fund Bill, the Insurance Act and the amendments of the Insurance Commission Act soon. "In the first half of the year, all three Bills will come before Parliament . . . It is going to be contained in one of the Bills (Pensions and Provident) that eventually what we are saying is that for now we...

February 11, 2020
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10Feb

Asian pension markets post nearly 12% jump in assets under management

Asia-Pacific’s seven top pension markets – Japan, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and India – saw their assets under management climb by 11.6 per cent in 2019, according to Thinking Ahead Institute’s Global Pension Assets Study released Monday. Also Read Asia Hedge Funds Brace for Lean Times as Investors Stay Away Japan is the largest of Asia’s pension markets, followed by Australia, with both countries in the top seven pension markets globally, the study said. “Asia Pacific...

February 10, 2020
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07Feb

Coronavirus fallout hits pensions and ISAs as investors urged not to flinch

The first day back to work after a long holiday is always a bit grating. But for those logging in at the Chinese stock market for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak, all bets were off. Read also Super funds push for lower pension age for Indigenous Australians The rest of the world’s markets have been riding the waves of coronavirus-induced volatility for weeks now as the infection spreads, while the epicenter remained economically silent. Read also Pension inequality:...

February 7, 2020
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