Latest from IPE Magazine – Page 36
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Opinion PiecesHow to define natural capital and greenwashing
Last month, I wrote about recent challenges that have arisen from the terminology of sustainable finance – the legal and political consequences of the sometimes careless ways that terms like ESG, ethics, risks and impact have been interchanged depending on audience and public mood.
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Opinion PiecesGermany's gamble with sweeping pension reforms
This is without a doubt an interesting time for pension reforms in Germany, given the inevitable associated risks of failure.
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Opinion PiecesThe cost of gender equality in pensions
The gender pension gap continues to be a significant issue in the European labour market, where women are at a disadvantage compared to men in terms of retirement income.
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FeaturesCentral banks and the weaponisation of finance
The US has been a global power since the second world war. But it was during the interval between the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and the rise of China in the 21st century that the US was perhaps the single global hegemon.
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FeaturesAccounting: The line between transparency and confidentiality
It was inevitable that the push by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to redefine non-financial reporting would collide with the question of just how much transparency is too much. We had something of an answer on 18 January when the board explored disclosures about the risks and opportunities that arise from climate change.
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FeaturesAustralia: Regulator targets greenwashing
Vanguard, one of the world’s largest investment managers, suffered the indignity in December of being the second company in Australia to receive an infringement notice for alleged greenwashing.
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FeaturesUS: SECURE 2.0 means the hard work ahead for pension plan sponsors
On one thing pretty much everyone agrees: the new SECURE 2.0 Act is very broad, complex, and will create a lot of work for US plan sponsors and retirement providers. In fact, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement law includes over 90 different provisions.
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FeaturesTCFD reporting for pension funds in the UK: a progress report
Some 18 months from the introduction of mandatory reporting of climate data by large UK pension funds, evidence shows that the policy has not brought about greater orientation towards green investments
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Opinion PiecesGuest viewpoint: The elephant in ISSB's drawing room
In mid-summer 2022, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) invited public comments on exposure drafts of its first two white papers: IFRS S1 on general requirements for disclosure of sustainability-related financial information, and IFRS S2 on climate-related disclosures. It received what was described as a “torrent” of responses.
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InterviewsPension funds on the record: Private debt is not all it’s cracked up to be
Investment in the asset class has grown exceptionally in recent years among pension funds, but to some investors the risk-return profile is not attractive enough
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InterviewsPME Goes Back To The Future – PME Pensioenfonds
Marcel Andringa (pictured) of PME, the Dutch pension fund for the metal and electronics industry, talks to Tjibbe Hoekstra about the fund’s decision to ditch index investing and move to a more concentrated portfolio
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FeaturesResearch: How pension funds look at Chinese assets
Allocations to Chinese assets are still modest. Vincent Mortier and Amin Rajan discuss key issues in the third and final article from the latest Amundi-Create-Research Survey
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Book ReviewBooks: Financial crises and the failure of risk measures
This is a great book for anybody who would like to understand the causes and dynamics of financial crises. The author delivers deep insights into systemic financial risks for our economies, and why risk management tools and regulations fail when it matters most. The text is written in conversational style, full of anecdotes, wisdoms and polemics, which makes reading a pleasure even for the non-expert. To be recommended not only for risk managers but also for investment directors and trustees.
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FeaturesFear and loathing in European banks
Any CEO would recognise there is a problem when investors do not want to put their money to work with you. That is the situation that European banks find themselves in. The MSCI Europe bank index has considerably underperformed its MSCI Europe parent over the last 10 years.
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FeaturesPrivate equity fundamentals resilient in headwinds
The economy and markets are beset with headwinds, and private equity assets are unlikely to be impervious. The concerns with the asset class are wide-ranging, from difficult financing conditions to rising interest rates, squeezed corporate margins and closed exit routes.
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InterviewsBain Capital: Vintage private equity
“In our world, it is quite easy to describe what we do, but it is very hard to do it,” says Robin Marshall, partner at Bain Capital. That statement encapsulates the concept of private equity and is also an effective introduction to his firm. Private equity may be a straightforward idea, but in reality it is an incredibly complex undertaking, which is why the asset class remains a non-core allocation within institutional portfolios.
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FeaturesFrom soft landing to no landing
Once again, the US jobs market has shown its capacity to surprise forecasters, if not astonish them. January’s non-farm payroll numbers came in way above consensus forecasts, swiftly reversing markets’ dovish take on that week’s central bank actions, with bond markets handing back much of their earlier gains.
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FeaturesAhead of the curve: The missing elements in the digital currencies debate
The recent contraction of the cryptocurrency markets poses questions about the viability of digital currency as an asset class for institutional investors. However, these developments have not undermined the efforts of central banks to pursue their own digital currency initiatives.
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FeaturesQontigo Riskwatch – March 2023
*Data as of 31 January 2023. Forecast risk estimate for each index measured by the respective US, World and Emerging Markets Qontigo model variants
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