GSAM Survey Shows Commodities Appear Less Risky
More than half of respondents said they view investing in stocks, bonds, property, private equity and hedge funds as slightly or much riskier than before, with commodities being the slight exception.
News
Pew Center Shows States Boost Effort to Combat Rising Public-Sector Pension Costs
The rising cost of worker and retiree benefits has pushed nineteen states to reduce pension liabilities or increase employee contributions in the first 10 months of 2010, a new study shows.
Pensions Say Goodbye Equities, Hello Alts
An annual poll by Baring Asset Management has revealed that about 50% of UK pensions have recently altered the allocations of their funds in favor of alternatives to reduce volatility and achieve greater diversification.
Study Shows UK Pension Risk Transfers Set to Double
Hymans Robertson has showed that by 2012, pension risk transfers are set to surpass £1 billion in the fourth quarter.
Kuwait's SWF Considers GM Stake; Future Fund Calls for EU Stability
The Gulf country's sovereign wealth fund is expected to purchase a stake in General Motors after it issues its IPO later today; Australian Future Fund Chairman David Murray seeks EU stability.
PBGC Reports Widening Deficit in Fiscal 2010
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., which insures the pensions of one in seven Americans, revealed that its annual deficit increased 4.5% to $23 billion.
Asset Managers Achieve Hefty Paychecks in 2010
Compensation in the US asset management industry is rebounding after two less lucrative years, a new report reveals.
NAPF Says EU Plans Risk Undermining UK Pensions
Pension experts have warned that plans by the European Union to introduce new rules on pension funding run the risk of undermining pensions rather than strengthening them.
CalPERS First to License Ermitage HF Software; Abandons 'Name-and-Shame' Listing
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) has bought the rights to license proprietary portfolio management software from Jersey-based Ermitage, and has revealed it will cease releasing its annual Focus List of underperforming stocks.
Fitch Report Says Insurers' Pension Funding Improves
A study of 2009 returns of 37 pension plans at US-based insurance companies has shown that the funded status of US life and non-life insurers' defined benefit pension plans has widely improved in 2009.
Singapore Fund Invests $106 Million in Petrobas, China Construction Bank
According to a regulatory filing, Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings invested about $106 million in Brazil's Petrobras during the last quarter.
Germany's Largest Utility Focuses on Grids to Attract Pensions
Chief Executive Officer Johannes Teyssen revealed that E.ON wants to raise $20 billion through asset disposals by the end of 2013 to lure pensions looking for steady, inflation-protected returns electricity lines provide.
Report Shows US Institutional Assets in 2009 Rebound
A study by The Conference Board shows that by the end of 2009, institutional investors -- including pension funds, insurance companies, savings institutions, and foundations -- had registered substantial gains in 2009, rebounding to pre-crisis levels.
QE2: A Consultant’s Take on What It Means for Pensions
Investment consultants at Mercer, Rocaton, and Towers Watson share their views with aiCIO readers on the short and long-term impacts of the Federal Reserve’s second bout of bond purchases (QE2) for US pension funds and for the economy as a whole.
Strategic Insight on the Fed’s Quantitative Easing: Tricky News for Bond Fund Investors
Loren Fox, senior research analyst at Strategic Insight, says the Fed's attempt to use quantitative easing to boost the US economy will exacerbate concerns regarding bond mutual fund investors.