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US endowment returns rocket on SpaceX windfall
Early venture bets on SpaceX have ballooned into major portfolio positions at some US university endowments, with new analysis estimating the aerospace firm contributed as much as 10.6 percentage points to annual returns. Michael Markov, founder of US quantitative researcher Markov Processes International, says the windfall is now creating a concentration risk that investors cannot ignore.
Private equity: As carry sinks, pension funds are winning the talent war
A slowdown in private equity fundraising and shrinking carry payouts are pushing experienced professionals towards pension funds, handing institutional investors an unexpected recruitment advantage. Sarah Rundell looks at the funds in hiring mode and how demand for people experienced in fund, co-investment and secondaries remains buoyant.
Are Canada’s pension bosses paid too much?
Canada’s public pension funds pay their executives huge salaries. But as performance continues to trail benchmarks, salary levels are coming under more scrutiny. Sarah Rundell takes a deep dive into the complex world of how to incentivise and reward pension fund executives.
Inside the year-and-a-half-long review into ATP’s complicated portfolio
Danish pension giant Arbejdsmarkedets Tillægspension (ATP) has been urged to cull risk, establish formal portfolio benchmarks and reduce private markets exposures, according to an external review committee which handed down a 536-page report into the fund’s investment operations after an 18-month review. Following the release of the report by the board this week, co-author of the review Andrew Ang unpacks the findings with Top1000funds.com.
Could Norway’s SWF really disappear?
Rising geopolitical risks and an AI correction could severely impact the value of the $2.2 trillion Norwegian sovereign fund, according to its chief executive Nicolai Tangen, who went so far as to say the fund could “disappear.” The warning is a stark one for the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, whose 70 per cent equity allocation leaves it heavily exposed to any sharp correction in global and particularly US tech markets.
Could Norway’s SWF really disappear?
Rising geopolitical risks and an AI correction could severely impact the value of the $2.2 trillion Norwegian sovereign fund, according to its chief executive Nicolai Tangen, who went so far as to say the fund could “disappear.” The warning is a stark one for the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, whose 70 per cent equity allocation leaves it heavily exposed to any sharp correction in global and particularly US tech markets.
Future Fund sees EM shifts widening alpha opportunities; CEO to depart
Australia’s Future Fund has highlighted strong performance in global equities, particularly in Japan and emerging markets, as a key return driver for its last reporting period. Despite increased concentration in EM indexes, new CIO Richard Brandweiner said it could lead to more alpha opportunities. Meanwhile, CEO Raphael Arndt said the time has come for a “fresh leader” to steer the fund as he prepares to close out a close to two-decade tenure with the $255 billion investor.
Letter to the Editor: TPA’s benefits are real, and accessible
In a Letter to the Editor, Stefano Cavaglia and Donald Raymond argue the reported performance gains using TPA are not only plausible but that TPA-like strategies, such as applying an optimizing total portfolio overlay, can provide significant benefits without massive governance changes.
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