Mercer Investment Consulting has published its predicted top trends for pension funds in 2011. With continued economic uncertainty around the world, Mercer expects further tight credit markets, a re-evaluation of the equity risk premium, concern about currency risk, and further allocations to emerging markets.
Cambridge to lift Asian presence with Beijing office
Cambridge Associates, the US-based asset consultancy, is to open a Beijing office – its third office in the Asia Pacific region – and is sending a private equity specialist there from London.
As themes take hold: the trick is not to pay too much
Thematic investment strategies are easy enough to understand but not so easy to implement. The curse of the thematic manager is the curse of overpaying.
Demographic problem mostly about haves and have-nots
The demographics driving the funds management industry, of ageing populations almost everywhere, are more complicated than you think. Greg Bright spoke to the Asia Pacific leader for Towers Watson, Bob Charles, who is a demographics expert, about the real demographic problems facing the world.
Equities lose out to bonds for Europe’s sustainable investors
Bonds are the favoured asset class at 53 per cent among European sustainable and responsible investors with equities dropping to 33 per cent, according to a Eurosif SRI report.
Norway aims for ‘green’ returns
The Norwegian government is trying to balance financial returns with sustainable development in regulating the GPFG, and the possibility of applying this model to other sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) and institutional investors in general. In this paper for the University of Oslo, Adjunct Professor Anita Halvorssen argues that sustainable development needs to be included in the newly adopted Generally Accepted Principles and Practices (GAPP/ Santiago Principles) for SWFs.
