Asia-Pacific: Pensions and Investment News and Analysis – Page 3
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Features
Can a sinking market re-emerge?
Travelling around Sri Lanka in mid-July reminded me of Winston Churchill’s saying that “democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried”. Many in Sri Lanka would argue that the post-independence history of the country may have proved him wrong. This year, political upheavals after popular demonstrations caused the administration of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother, Prime Minster Mahinda Rajapaksa, to collapse after the Rajapaksas’ deep corruption and deeper ineptitude over two decades brought economic ruin as the country ran out of foreign exchange to pay for fuel imports.
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Asset Class Reports
Emerging market debt: China government bonds
The outlook for Chinese government debt is looking less attractive
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Opinion Pieces
Australia: Role for superannuation in nation-building
A new Labor government has set the scene for change in Australia’s growing superannuation industry to ensure that some of the country’s A$3.3trn (€2,3trn) savings pool is directed toward social housing and the energy transition.
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Special Report
Asia investment: GIC enhances sustainability focus
A sustainability office now complements a sustainable investment fund that was launched in 2020
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Special Report
Asia investment: Japan’s GPIF assesses new strategy
World’s largest pension fund aims improve its allocation to ESG indices following a positive five-year track record
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Special Report
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.
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Special Report
Asia investment: Focus shift brings turmoil to emerging Asia equities
Enthusiasm about Asian equities has cooled on the back of global recession risk, geopolitics and inflation
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Special Report
Asia investment: China edges closer to a national pension plan
Foreign managers see opportunities in new US 401(k)-style pensions, with vast asset growth potential
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News
NBIM favours Japan human rights corporate code linking to SASB/ISSB reporting
Norwegian SWF manager also stresses need for companies and government to monitor what happens next
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Opinion Pieces
Australia: Downturn casts a shadow over super anniversary
Australia’s superannuation industry enters its fourth decade under the darkening clouds of a global economic slowdown that is already having a dramatic impact on returns.
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News
Schroders identifies persistence in private equity returns [updated]
Research by Schroders Capital finds that past performance could be more instructive for some parts of the private equity market than others
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Features
China calls the tune for emerging markets
If President Xi Jinping mismanages China, the careers of many emerging market asset managers could be over. It would also mean emerging markets as an asset class would become irrelevant, at least according to Xavier Hovasse, head of emerging markets at the French fund management house Carmignac, who has devoted his career to seeking opportunities in emerging markets.
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Opinion Pieces
Australia: Superannuation funds on a consolidation path
Australians are beginning to get used to super funds with names like Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super and Spirit Super.
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Features
Yen’s swift dive surprises market
For several decades, the Japanese yen has not been in the limelight too often. However, earlier this year it became headline news as the currency began to depreciate rapidly against the US dollar. Although investors were not overly surprised that the yen would weaken, the speed of its decline was certainly startling. Over the course of about 15 months, between the start of 2021 to early April 2022, the yen has lost about 25% of its value against the dollar, with nearly half the move occurring in that final month.
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Features
Fixed income, rates & currency: disappearing safe havens
Risk markets have been having a torrid time of late. ‘Risk-free’ government bond markets are not providing any safe havens in these storms, with curves steepening and considerable volatility in longer rates.
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Opinion Pieces
Australia: Political risk on the agenda for super funds
Australia’s cash-rich super funds allocate more to international equities than to their domestic counterparts. International equities are the largest single allocation.
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Special Report
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.
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Features
Investors sceptical on Tokyo equity market reforms
In April, the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) implemented its biggest overhaul in over 60 years in an attempt to attract foreign investors. However, many industry experts see the move as largely symbolic and believe more needs to be done to create a roster of high-quality companies with strong corporate governance practices.
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Asset Class Reports
Emerging markets: Global or local?
For emerging market strategies, it is difficult to establish a clear link between performance and local presence
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Asset Class Reports
Portfolio strategy – Emerging markets
It is no secret that while investments in emerging markets promise to deliver superior returns, thanks to their exposure to faster-growing economies, actual performance has been volatile and, at times, disappointing. Over the past decade, emerging market indices have outperformed, as have fund strategies.