The growing amount of capital from retail investors flowing into private equity and real estate has consequences for institutional investors. The private markets team at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas pondered the risks in a recent investment committee meeting.
An external panel has recommended that Australia’s Sydney University minimise investments in defence and security-related industries within its A$770 million ($510 million) private asset portfolio rather than divest and book a A$67 million loss.
As geopolitical uncertainty leaves many European pension funds exploring how to invest more in defence, Norway’s KLP has just divested two listed defence companies for selling weapons to Israel because of human rights concerns in Gaza.
A group of UK pension funds have formed a new pressure group, the Governance for Growth Investor Campaign, to boost oversight of the companies in which they invest, warning that the British government’s sweeping overhaul of listing rules has watered down longstanding shareholder rights.
The $1.8 trillion Norges Bank Investment Management marks the 15th anniversary of its Singapore office this year, with the unit now firmly established as its Asia-Pacific stronghold. As regional growth set to continue in the coming decade, NBIM is well-positioned to capitalise on it, says Singapore head Sumer Dewan.
In a recent board meeting, University of Texas Investment Management Co’s head Rich Hall explained why he is concerned about corporate earnings’ impact on equity returns. He also warned that as consumer and company spending slows, a recession can become self-fulfilling until new facts emerge to break the pattern.
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