Asset Allocation – Page 138

  • Features

    Fortis Investments looks to fiduciary

    April 2008 (Magazine)

    The fortunes of a CEO can vary with the tides, particularly when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. Sometimes a merger makes their position redundant; other times it can catapult the CEO to the helm of a new entity that has changed beyond recognition. Fortis Investments’ future was ...

  • The sleeping giant  of Valley Forge
    Features

    The sleeping giant of Valley Forge

    April 2008 (Magazine)

    A triumvirate of US asset managers dominate passive investment. Between them, State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), Vanguard and Barclays Global Investors (BGI) manage over $3.5trn (€2.3trn). But while BGI and SSgA have built hedge fund and active management businesses, and have swept up business in European pension markets, Vanguard has ...

  • Features

    How we moved our money

    April 2008 (Magazine)

    Last year, the Dutch pension fund PME mandated Mn Services with the fiduciary management of its assets, and took a stake in the company, in what was the largest ever European portfolio transition. Iain Morse discusses the transition aspects of the deal with Roland van den Brink of Mn Services

  • Refocusing on risk
    Features

    Refocusing on risk

    April 2008 (Magazine)

    After five years of growth the recent market turmoil is leading to a strategic reassessment on the part of asset managers in France. Nina Röhrbein examines the emerging trends

  • Features

    New Jersey buys financials cheaply

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    These days the most talked about pension fund in the US is New Jersey State’s Retirement System. With $81bn (€54.7bn) in assets, it is the ninth largest US public pension fund. It is also the instigator of a highly innovative attempt to team with other large institutional investors, including foreign ...

  • Why hedge funds mismanage alpha risk
    Features

    Why hedge funds mismanage alpha risk

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    The greatest source of market-driven hedge fund blow-ups is alpha, or manager skill risk. Leslie Rahl, Richard Horwitz and Erin Simpson of Capital Market Risk Advisors suggest this is due to an inadequate management of alpha risk

  • Unlocking the buyout market
    Features

    Unlocking the buyout market

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    The UK’s pension buyout sector has generated attention and controversy in almost equal measure. Joseph Mariathasan discusses business models and future trends with leading players

  • Off the record: Bean counters called to account
    Special Report

    Off the record: Bean counters called to account

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    Few issues have generated so much controversy among Europe’s corporate pension schemes as the application of international accounting standards (IAS). In Switzerland, the introduction of IAS19 has led pension lawyers to re-define Pensionskassen as defined contribution (DC) rather than defined benefit (DB) schemes in an effort to escape its provisions. In the Netherlands, industry-wide schemes have argued that the involvement of a large number of corporate sponsors has made the implementation of IAS19 impossible.

  • Features

    Asset allocation

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    Equities Investors are more bullish on US and UK equity markets and more bearish on Japan, Asia, and euro-zone equities. Asia experienced the biggest decline in sentiment; with the number of investors predicting a rise in Asian equities falling 10%. Asia had been the one bright spot in terms ...

  • Features

    Not another dagger?

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    The recent paper from the UK Accounting Standards Board (ASB) was described by Aon Consulting as “another dagger in the side of final salary pensions”. But when is a dagger not a dagger? Apparently, when an organisation or even an individual does something to draw attention to the increasingly unsustainable ...

  • Strategically speaking
    Features

    Strategically speaking: Finles Capital Management

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    Finles Capital Management, a Dutch investment management boutique based in Utrecht, is unusual for at least two reasons.

  • Commission issues two surveys in fight for pensions portability
    Features

    Commission issues two surveys in fight for pensions portability

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    More artillery has arrived on the battleground where the EU is still fighting for pan-European legislation on the portability of supplementary, non-state pensions for employees. The weapons recently wheeled into place by the European Commission takes the form of two heavyweight studies. These include existing national business practices, measures of ...

  • Features

    Fiduciary roles

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    Fiduciary management is now established in the Netherlands, but what role do consultants play when a fiduciary is appointed? Pirkko Juntunen investigated

  • Overdue for an overhaul
    Features

    Overdue for an overhaul

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    International accounting standards have served pensions accounting well, but it is time for an update, argues Andrew Lennard

  • Features

    Taking a stake

    March 2008 (Magazine)

    The typical shareholder does not like underperforming companies. However, where he only sees loss of profits, others see an opportunity.

  • Features

    Positioning your super fund for the future

    February 2008 (Magazine)

    The head of one of Australia’s biggest investors has some advice for super fund managers who struggle to balance the books. Richard Newell listens to his words of wisdom

  • Features

    Turkey's financial sector

    February 2008 (Magazine)

    After a flat 2006, in 2007 the Istanbul Stock Exchange saw an increase of 72% in US$ terms.

  • Features

    The changing face of Turkey

    February 2008 (Magazine)

    The heralding of Turkey as a new entrant to the global economy is the result of a misconception. Turkey has, in fact, been tied into the globalised economy for decades, if not centuries.

  • Features

    New man at EFRP

    February 2008 (Magazine)

    He may be a new broom, but Angel Martinez-Aldama will be sweeping up much of the same old dust, finds George Coats

  • Features

    Turkey's Oyak diversifies abroad

    February 2008 (Magazine)

    Oyak, the €5.5bn pension fund of the Turkish armed forces, is to invest in foreign assets for the first time since it was established over 40 years ago.