March 2022

‘ESG is too important to ignore’: What a shift to green investments means for your pensions
03Mar

‘ESG is too important to ignore’: What a shift to green investments means for your pensions

Pension schemes are being used to hit long-term Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, which experts say may put your savings at risk. Pension schemes in the UK contain over £2.5trn of wealth, and the industry is considered a key part of the shift towards clean energy, according to the Government. It says pension schemes include the “largest single group of institutional investors in the UK, with significant influence over the flow of investments in the economy.” Coupled with their long-term investment...

March 3, 2022
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02Mar

From Japan to the US, sanctions threaten top pension funds’ Russia assets

Norway’s announcement it would divest its sovereign wealth fund’s Russian holdings – totalling $2.8 billion as of end-December – as a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised the prospect that other state-backed pension funds might follow their governments’ cues and offload assets en masse. Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) – the largest in the world by assets – had ¥213.1 billion ($1.9 billion) in exposures to Russia as of end-March 2021. Read more @Risk 684 views

March 2, 2022
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02Mar

UK firms rush to dump Russian assets amid efforts to isolate Moscow

British firms are scrambling to dump Russian assets amid efforts by the US, EU and UK governments to deepen Moscow’s economic isolation after the invasion of Ukraine. Read also More U.K., European investors move away from Russia Legal & General, Abrdn and state-backed pension scheme Nest have said they will try to sell their holdings in Russian stocks, while British Gas owner Centrica on Tuesday became the third big British energy firm to cut ties with Russia within a week, echoing...

March 2, 2022
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01Mar

U.S. funds reviewing next steps in light of sanctions against Russia

Federal mandates for sanctioning Russian financial institutions are prompting several U.S. public pension funds to assess their portfolios. Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller and fiduciary of the $266.7 billion New York City Retirement Systems, said in a statement Monday that while the system's five pension funds make individual investment decisions, including those related to divestment, he plans to present to trustees a list of assets to consider divesting. Read also US. NYPD pension fund to divest $42M of Russian-issued securities...

March 1, 2022
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01Mar

Canada. Public servants calling for B.C. public sector pension fund to divest Russian investments

B.C. public servants and opposition political parties are calling on the province’s public sector pension fund to divest in investments in Russian companies. In 2021, BC Investment Management Corporation holdings showed more than $450 million in Russian-owned companies. This includes $103.9 million worth of shares in the Russian state-owned bank Sberbank, $83.85 million in Lukoil, $32.3 million in Rosneft Oil, and $19.16 million in Gazprom. An online petition from pension plan members states they “don’t want to be bankrolling (Vladimir) Putin’s...

March 1, 2022
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01Mar

Kenya. Pension sector outlook positive despite election uncertainties

Kenya’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has a history of slackening during election years. During this period, fund managers and individuals put investment decisions on hold pending a return to normalcy in the political scene. The extremity of the December 2007 elections, which sunk growth to 0.23 per cent in 2008 from 6.85 per cent a year earlier, stretched the speculation on political risk for subsequent years. In 2013, GDP decelerated to 3.80 per cent from 4.57 per cent while...

March 1, 2022
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February 2022
28Feb

U.S. asset owners react, mull responses to Ukraine invasion

U.S. asset owners, their supervisors, and state legislative bodies are grappling with the impact of Thursday's Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In Illinois, state Rep. Jim Durkin announced Thursday he would introduce legislation that would require the state's five pension funds to divest from any holdings in Russian companies. "This morning, we woke up to shocking images crossing our TV screens. People in cities throughout Ukraine huddled in subways and shelters while explosions shake their cities as Russian soldiers begin an invasion...

February 28, 2022
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25Feb

Russian actions vs. Ukraine have European investors on alert

Geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine is making institutional investors in Europe nervous, with some pension funds reducing their Russian holdings, and others watching closely. Read also Investors, governments act on Russia’s escalation in Ukraine The political situation that has been brewing since late 2021 escalated dramatically Feb. 24, when Russian troops invaded Ukraine. That prompted other countries, including the U.S. and the U.K. to impose increasingly strict sanctions against Russia, and the prospect of more from Canada, Japan and Australia. European...

February 25, 2022
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25Feb

Canadian Pensions Bankrolling Elder Abuse and Misappropriation of Public Money by French Long-term Care Multinational: CUPE

A new report by the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research (CICTAR) reveals that Europe’s largest long-term care home operator, Orpea, has been building a property empire while facing allegations of elder abuse and misappropriation of public money. Orpea is 15 per cent owned by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), which also holds two seats on Orpea’s board of directors. CUPE is reiterating its call for Canadian pension funds to stop bankrolling suffering and abuse...

February 25, 2022
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Assessing the Macroeconomic Impact of Structural Reforms in Ukraine
24Feb

Assessing the Macroeconomic Impact of Structural Reforms in Ukraine

By Anil Ari & Gabor Pula Ukraine’s economic performance has been anemic since the early 1990s. A major impediment to productivity growth has been low investment, held back by lack of strong and independent institutions. This paper aims to assess the major areas of institutional weakness in Ukraine and quantify the long-term growth impact of catching-up to Poland in terms of the quality of major economic institutions and market development. Our analysis identifies the legal system as the area where...

February 24, 2022
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