The Netherlands, an innovator in pension investment management, is leading a renaissance into government bonds at the expense of corporate bonds, as other European countries further reduce their domestic equities allocation, according to Mercer Investment Consulting’s 2010 European asset allocation survey.
Flexible in-house thinking pays dividends for Canada’s HOOPP
A strategic shift into equities during 2009 and the completion of a multi-year strategy to bring all assets in house, has resulted in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) returning 15.18 per cent return for 2009, positioning it as one of very few pension funds around the globe to be fully funded.
Sweden’s AP2 backs own dynamic bets
A committed ‘return seeker’, Sweden’s Andra AP Fonden (AP2) exploited the repricing of risk during the financial crisis by investing decisively in convertible bonds and credit, says Tomas Franzen, chief investment strategist at the SEK204.3 billion ($28.5 billion) fund. Now it is looking at real assets and emerging Asia to further diversify its sources of return. Simon Mumme reports.
Australia’s UniSuper launches first internal capabilities
The $A25 billion ($23 billion) UniSuper will ramp up its internal funds management capabilities, with four of its own portfolios set to be running by the end of the year, in conjunction with a project that will see its defined benefit and defined contribution sections adopt differing investment strategies for the first time.
CalSTRS cost breakdown supports internal savings…
A breakdown of CalSTRS’ investment costs confirms the cost savings of internal asset management, with the fund’s internal asset management costs making up only 0.07 per cent of the total portfolio management costs, but comprising 30 per cent of the total assets managed.
Aussie fund makes big recovery
Jim Christensen, the investments boss of one of Australia’s biggest corporate superannuation funds, Telstra Super, is close to fully rebuilding his team after a chain of key departures in the past eight months, and has viewed the task as an opportunity to reshape the fund’s alternatives program and consider the potential for further internal management. Simon Mumme reports.
