Sort content by
Investor Profile

Risks are multi-faceted and evolving: Litterman

If Robert Litterman were a CIO of a public pension plan he would not try to hit an “unrealistic return target”. Amanda White speaks to him about risk, quants, asset allocation and climate change. There is a serious problem with US public pension funds and the “unrealistic commitments and unrealistic return targets” they have set, […]
Amanda WhiteMay 7, 2014
Uncategorised posts

Predicting equity returns with rising rates

The impact of higher rates on equity returns is a concern for investors and to some extent an unknown. But by applying the concept a threshold correlation, as done with bond portfolios with a duration targeting framework, it is possible to better understand the complex interactions between equity returns and interest rate movements. The latest […]
Amanda WhiteApril 4, 2014
Investor Profile

Position shift at University of Toronto Asset Management

In organisational terms there isn’t a stone unturned at University of Toronto Asset Management (UTAM). The organisation has a new board, new staff, new risk and reporting systems and has restructured its portfolios, including a new policy portfolio. Where previously the assets were managed in a traditional method, with public market assets and alternatives allocated […]
Amanda WhiteJune 14, 2013
Uncategorised posts

Retirement: a cause worth working on

There are two things that drive the newly appointed global chief operating officer of State Street Global Advisors, Greg Ehret, in his bid to improve the client experience: the retirement business is a cause worth working on and the clients are the reason the business exists. Ehret was appointed to the new position at SSgA, […]
Amanda WhiteMay 17, 2013
Uncategorised posts

Is the Great Rotation passing pension funds by?

The prospect of a seismic shift from bond to equity investments looks set to pass most of the world’s pension funds by, argue experts. The concept of a ‘Great Rotation’ rose to prominence following its use by Bank of America Merrill Lynch in October. It argued in a note that “the era of bond outperformance […]
Dan BillinghamApril 24, 2013
Sponsored Content

The Specter of Rising Interest Rates

After the 2008 financial crisis, global central banks flooded the financial markets with liquidity to restore stability and set the stage for economic recovery. But these actions also raised investor concerns about inflation and fixed income investments. In the accompanying paper, “The Specter of Rising Interest Rates,” Northern Trust’s Jim McDonald discusses the current situation […]
STAFF WRITERJuly 7, 2011
<2of2>