Latest from IPE Magazine – Page 34
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FeaturesESG comes to money market funds
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing has permeated every corner of the asset management universe, and money market funds (MMFs) are no exception. European funds are under much greater scrutiny than their US and UK peers thanks to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), which came into effect two years ago. The result is that many MMFs are busy changing their classification to meet the higher standards.
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InterviewsVontobel: Builders in a changing landscape
Christel Rendu de Lint, a veteran of Swiss asset and wealth management, sees herself as a builder. This claim has justification given her track record at UBP, where she built a fixed-income capability from scratch to CHF20bn (€20.5bn) over 12 years.
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FeaturesBlackRock executive pegs inequality with new opportunity index
“Inequality is both a risk and an opportunity that should be measured,” says Gavin Lewis in a conversation about his book ‘The Opportunity Index: A solution-based framework to dismantle the racial wealth gap’. Growing up in a single parent household without a father in Tottenham, a predominantly black area of London with high poverty levels, Lewis is well qualified to have a view on inequality. But as a managing director at BlackRock, is he also an example of the exception that proves the rule?
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Opinion PiecesUS: state enrolment systems gain traction
There are signs that the US state-facilitated retirement savings plans are starting to have a positive impact on both the creation and uptake of private pension plans.
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Opinion PiecesGuest viewpoint: Standardised data on diversity and inclusion will help team development
Promoting inclusiveness and diversity in organisations is key to discovering their human capital potential. But fostering a culture of continuous improvement is critical if this is to be fully realised.
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Opinion PiecesDo not blame institutions for taking risks
Alecta, the SEK1.19trn (€105bn) institution that manages the Swedish ITP private-sector pension scheme, is being probed by Swedish regulators for the €1.9bn capital loss it experienced earlier this year, as the three US regional banks it invested in – Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank – collapsed. The institution reacted by firing its influential CEO Magnus Billing.
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InterviewsFinland's VER: The strategy to secure government pensions
Timo Löyttyniemi (pictured), CEO of the buffer fund supporting Finnish government employees’ pensions, talks to Carlo Svaluto Moreolo about its investment strategy
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Opinion PiecesAustralia: volatility stirs valuations debate
As a disconnect in the valuation of listed and unlisted assets widens in today’s volatile markets, the torchlight is again being trained on Australia’s guardians of retirement savings.
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FeaturesAccounting: the road to global applicability for sustainability standards
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) has long been a vanguard of sustainability-related financial disclosure standards. But the global applicability of the standards has remained a focal point for discussion. In response, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has launched a project called International Applicability of the SASB Standards to take on the challenge.
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FeaturesCareer development: Reaching to the next generation in pensions
Pensions can be seen as a dry industry, but an array of initiatives is seeking to support younger professionals
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FeaturesPrivate equity firms vie for scarce institutional capital
Private equity needs to prove its ability to adapt to a vastly changed investment landscape to remain an attractive asset class for limited partners (LPs) such as pension funds and insurance groups.
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FeaturesFixed income, rates & currency: Strong labour markets surprise
Global purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data, which measures the state of the US economy, has been mostly strong, although manufacturing indices have been considerably weaker than services, perhaps reflecting their greater sensitivity to higher interest rates.
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FeaturesAhead of the curve: The rise of multi-manager models for alternative investing
Fifteen years after the ‘global financial crisis’, multi-manager strategies for alternative investing have not only shaken off their tarnished reputation but have evolved
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FeaturesQontigo Riskwatch – June 2023
*Data as of 28 April 2023. Forecast risk estimate for each index measured by the respective US, World and Emerging Markets Qontigo model variants
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FeaturesIPE Quest Expectations Indicator: June 2023
Continued loud bickering between the Wagner Group and the Russian army is protecting Putin from both, worsening the outlook for peace, while there are multiple signs that military supplies are approaching exhaustion. The coalition supporting Ukraine is stronger than ever, showing increasing willingness to provide military aircraft. Yet the offensive expected in February has not started. In the US, Florida governor Ron DeSantis is damaging his position with an unproductive row with Disney, while Trump has moved closer to a prison term. Gas consumption in the EU is falling faster than expected, due to efficiencies like heat pumps, changeover to electricity and solar panels. Macron scored nicely by sponsoring the participation of Zelensky at the Hiroshima G7; Sunak failed to centre political attention on China.
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Country ReportCountry Report – Pensions in UK (May 2023)
UK pensions are at a crucial juncture. The UK Parliament’s inquiry into the LDI crisis of September 2022 shed some light on its causes, but the debate on the role of LDI is alive and well. Meanwhile, regulators including The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority have advised pension schemes on how to make LDI strategies more resilient to shocks.
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Asset Class ReportsPortfolio strategy – Fixed income
Last year ushered in a new era for global fixed income and credit markets. It was the worst, in terms of returns, for bond investors in years, but it signalled a regime change. Investors need to be prepared for structurally higher inflation and rates, as well as higher volatility. But for fixed income managers, this is an environment where value is easier to find. Our report looks at this new beginning for fixed income investors, and at how selectivity has become key in the high yield and loan markets.
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Asset Class ReportsFixed income – New beginning for bond investors
A painful 2022 for fixed income means attractive opportunities and a possible normalisation in risk and return
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Country ReportUK: A review of the LDI debacle
The UK Parliamentary inquiry into the LDI crisis has shed light on its causes, but the debate over the lessons learned for the UK DB industry is far from over
