February 2021

Danish pension giant ATP makes first investment in social bonds

Denmark’s ATP, one of the first pension funds globally to buy green bonds, has made its first investments in so-called social bonds as part of its sustainable portfolio, it said on Thursday. Social bonds, which are debt issued for socially beneficial projects such as eradicating child labour or strengthening workers’ rights, have caught the eye of investors during the COVID-19 pandemic, when ethical investments have surged. “In 2020, we decided to take it one step further and expand our universe to...

China. Green finance gets newfound incentivization

China will make it easier for international investors to access the country's green finance market by promoting the harmonization of domestic and global green standards as part of its efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, central bank officials said on Tuesday. Read also Asia needs pension reforms for sustainable growth The green finance industry in China needs to learn from the asset management experiences of foreign investors, such as multinational pension funds and insurance companies. Large capital injections are also...

2020 Global Equity Release Roundtable Survey

By EY In conjunction with the 2020 Global Equity Release Roundtable, representatives from each country attending have been surveyed to understand the details of how equity release markets operate in different countries. This document summarizes the survey responses received. The responses provided have not been verified by EY professionals and simply represents the views of the responders. The information in this pack should not be regarded as comprehensive or sufficient for making decisions, nor should it be used in...

Debt for Climate: Green Bonds and Other Instruments

By Paul Rose This chapter, prepared for the Edward Elgar Research Handbook on Climate Finance and Investment Law (2020, Michael Mehling and Harro van Asselt (eds.)), examines the rise of green bonds, climate bonds, and other green financial instruments. Although climate finance has enjoyed positive momentum in recent years, this momentum is at risk—with the possibility of reversal—if climate markets fail to provide competitive risk-adjusted returns. For climate finance to compete effectively, governments, issuers, and investors must resolve a...

Portfolio Management for Insurers and Pension Funds and COVID-19: Targeting Volatility for Equity, Balanced and Target-Date Funds with Leverage Constraints 2

By Bao Huy Doan , Jonathan J. Reeves , Michael Sherris Insurers and pension funds face the challenges of historically low interest rates and volatility in equity markets, that have been accentuated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent advances in equity portfolio management with a target volatility have been shown to deliver improved on average risk adjusted return, after transaction costs. This paper studies these targeted volatility portfolios in applications to equity, balanced and target-date funds with varying constraints...

Ontario teachers pension fund gains $500 million by cashing in on GameStop stock rebellion

Wall Street's hedge funds are set to lose tens of billions of dollars after a mob of traders on Reddit's WallStreetBets page sent GameStop, AMC Entertainment, and other stocks skyrocketing in recent days. However, some Canadian entities are cashing in on what is being touted as the "biggest short squeeze in 25 years." Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan—the largest shareholder in U.S. mall owner Macerich Co.—reportedly sold its entire holding for nearly $500 million when the stock soared. According to...

2020 Global Equity Release Roundtable Survey

By EY In conjunction with the 2020 Global Equity Release Roundtable, representatives from each country attending have been surveyed to understand the details of how equity release markets operate in different countries. This document summarizes the survey responses received. The responses provided have not been verified by EY professionals and simply represents the views of the responders. The information in this pack should not be regarded as comprehensive or sufficient for making decisions, nor should it be used in place...

Investigation: Dutch, Japanese pension funds pay for Amazon deforestation

Two pension funds in the Netherlands and one from Japan have invested a combined half a billion dollars in Brazil’s top three meatpackers. These investments in cattle ranching, an industry that’s the main driver of Amazon deforestation, contradict the environmental stances of the respective funds and their national governments. The fund managers and other experts say maintaining their stake is a more effective way of pushing for change in the companies than simply dumping the stock. But there’s also a growing realization...

2020 Global Equity Release Roundtable Survey

By EY In conjunction with the 2020 Global Equity Release Roundtable, representatives from each country attending have been surveyed to understand the details of how equity release markets operate in different countries. This document summarizes the survey responses received. The responses provided have not been verified by EY professionals and simply represents the views of the responders. The information in this pack should not be regarded as comprehensive or sufficient for making decisions, nor should it be used in...

Debt for Climate: Green Bonds and Other Instruments

By Paul Rose This chapter, prepared for the Edward Elgar Research Handbook on Climate Finance and Investment Law (2020, Michael Mehling and Harro van Asselt (eds.)), examines the rise of green bonds, climate bonds, and other green financial instruments. Although climate finance has enjoyed positive momentum in recent years, this momentum is at risk—with the possibility of reversal—if climate markets fail to provide competitive risk-adjusted returns. For climate finance to compete effectively, governments, issuers, and investors must resolve a...