How Italy’s biggest banking foundations invest
There are 85 bank foundations in the Italian charity sector, 12 of which each hold more than €1bn in assets, and they are making efforts to move towards larger, more efficient management structures using multi-asset and strategic mandates
US tax proposals introduce uncertainty for sovereign wealth funds
A proposed change to US tax regulations which could shake billions of dollars in investment assets held by sovereign wealth funds
Calpers CIO sets out progress on total portfolio switch
Calpers chief investment officer Stephen Gilmore explains to AOX what stage the $563bn pension fund is at in its transition to the total portfolio approach and how it is handling some of the potential risks
What should asset owners really be worried about over private credit?
The boom in demand for private credit has led to an influx of asset managers into the sector, and a growth in the number of funds available to asset owners - which is what concerns Mercer’s Niall O’Sullivan
What are the new power groupings in global investment?
Institutional investment is becoming increasingly polarised, with pension funds now dominating in North America while sovereign wealth funds are becoming more prominent in Europe and the Middle East. Armed with considerable resources, these investors are diving into private markets globally, including financing the energy transition.
To what extent do pensions invest domestically?
Given the rising tide of economic nationalism, is there anything we can learn from the extent to which pensions around the globe invest in their national economies? Perhaps there is.
Is the growth of continuation vehicles good for asset owners?
The use of continuation vehicles, which involve private equity managers selling expiring assets to themselves in a new package, has been soaring and some asset owners have been buying into it. What are the risks?
British pensions feel government 'pressure' over pooling
Two of Britain’s local government pension scheme funds explain why they felt ‘soft government pressure’ to join a pool which was not their first choice
Ivy League endowments have killed the Yale Model. So what comes next?
Ivy League endowments used to follow the ‘Yale Model’ of investing heavily in private assets. But this model’s success has undermined its ability to provide good returns, which has triggered a divergence among these eight funds
Could a total portfolio approach spell opportunity for active asset managers?
Interest in asset allocation frameworks such as the total portfolio approach is gathering pace, with proponents including Calpers and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. While this enthusiasm could open the door to a larger role for active management, such strategies require governance structures and investment expertise currently only available to the largest investors
New Abu Dhabi wealth fund signals 'supercharged' approach
The universe of Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds is being shaken up by a new player, L’imad, which analysts say signals “the start of a supercharged private equity-style sovereign wealth fund that will proceed with a global reach”
What should asset owners do about the 'retailisation' of private assets?
Fraz Siddiqui, chief financial officer of the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, said the trend towards the retailisation of private assets was something asset owners would need to accept and work around
Congress’s ESG pension plan has a major flaw
The US Senate is considering an anti-ESG retirement bill which will force funds to only consider financially material questions when they pick their investments. Will this change what pension fund portfolios actually look like?
Ireland's sovereign wealth fund powers tech boom
Ireland is eager to take advantage of its new-found economic solvency and is using its £20bn sovereign wealth fund to actively invest in its tech sector
Mid-sized managers must ‘scale or fail’ as asset owners increasingly look for bigger partners
Fund management companies which are mid-sized may find themselves in “no man’s land” where they are not small enough to be nimble but not big enough to compete against the industry behemoths
What are consultants advising clients to do about AI?
Some of the largest consultants in the market tell AOX what they are advising their clients to do to address market concentration in the US and the high valuations of tech stocks due to the AI boom
Why Brazil’s wealthiest families shun investment abroad
A potentially contentious election is looming in Brazil but the country’s wealthiest families are largely keeping their money invested domestically, according to the head of wealth management at BTG Pactual, Latin America’s largest investment bank
Azerbaijan’s state oil fund has a 38% exposure to gold. Could that pose a problem?
The $73bn State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan, or Sofaz, has increased its exposure to gold from 12 per cent in 2023 to 38 per cent now. That has been a boon with the price of gold rocketing, but could that pose a problem?
Caribbean island to set up sovereign wealth fund with proceeds of AI boom
The Caribbean island of Anguilla has made millions by selling its .ai domain to artificial intelligence companies. Now it is putting that money to good use.
UK DC investors seeking bespoke private markets LTAFs
Defined contribution schemes in the UK are becoming more confident in seeking returns away from public markets, according to LCP