Survey: Alternative Investment Fees on the Decline
Mercer's 2010 Asset Manager Fee Survey has shown that fees for hedge funds, private equity, infrastructure and real estate are all down from 2008.
Asset Allocation
Barclays Capital Survey Finds Commodity Investors Predict Higher Returns
Hedge funds and institutional investors predict a bigger inflow into direct commodity investments than in 2010 as the economy continues to improve, increasing demand for metals, grains, and energy.
Mercer Shows S&P 1500 Company Pension Deficits Shrink to $359 Billion
The consulting firm found that the shortfall among US company pension plans at the end of November corresponds to a funded status of 79%, compared to a funded status of 78% at the end of October.
MetLife Study Examines US vs. UK on Risk
A survey of 166 US and 89 UK corporate plan officials shows that pension risk management differs on both sides of the Atlantic.
Report Finds Pension Costs Poised to Explode
According to a report issued by the Empire Center for New York State Policy, taxpayer-funded employer contributions to public pensions in New York State will rise by billions of dollars in the next few years, threatening to divert scarce resources from other essential public services.
Survey Shows UK Industry Watchdog Lacks Accountability
A National Association of Pension Funds pulse survey has show 78% of respondents believe the UK's watchdog should be more accountable to those it regulates.
CalPERS Sheds LaSalle of Industrial RE Portfolio
The country's biggest public pension fund has transferred most of its CalEast Global Logistics industrial real estate portfolio to private investment firm GI Partners from LaSalle Investment Management.
Institutional Investor Confidence on the Upswing
With North American and European institutions leading the way, institutional investor confidence has risen in November, according to research by State Street Global Markets.
Study Suggests ESG Mutual Funds Outperform
Research by Trucost and RLP Capital shows that mutual funds incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) analysis outperformed traditional funds over one-and three-year periods.
SEI Global Poll: LDI Investing Continues to Gain Traction
Pension plans are increasingly adopting liability-driven investing strategies, a new SEI study shows, with the UK and Netherlands in the lead.
Shareholder Group Says Pay Practices at Banks Fueled Risk-Taking
The Council of Institutional Investors, which represents about 130 pension funds, has shown that pay practices at major Wall Street banks likely helped drive excessive risk-taking by executives and contributed to financial collapse in 2008.
Korea Investment Corp Aims to Stray Away From Stocks, Bonds
The nation's $37 billion sovereign wealth fund is planning on making three or four strategic investments with other state funds next year.
UK Defined Benefit Schemes Aim to Cut Risk Within Five Years
Research by Towers Watson has found that a majority of corporate executives running DB schemes say they would use sophisticated financial products to reduce their risk.
EDHEC Encourages Sovereign Wealth Funds to Revise Investment Approach
With the growth of sovereign wealth funds likely to continue and expected to reach around $10 trillion within the next decade, a new paper by EDHEC says these investment vehicles should improve their investment policies and risk management practices.
Study Shows Insurers Battle Lower Investment Returns
A report by Swiss Re has found that the ongoing financial crisis has created a "new, challenging environment for insurance investment managers."