Why Taiwan’s cautious asset owners are turning to venture capital
Taiwan’s insurers and government funds have typically had a strong preference for bonds, particularly those backed by the US Treasury. But change is afoot as they have started wading further into venture capital. So what’s going on?
Why are Dutch pension funds cooling on mortgages?
Following the 2008 financial crisis many Dutch pension funds started investing in mortgages, with $14.7bn a year flowing into these funds at its peak. But many are now scaling back, so what has happened?
Why Italy’s banking charities have spotted an opportunity in Europe
The regional foundations which were born from Italy’s banking reforms in the 1990s think changes to the way the European Union funds projects around the bloc have offered up an investment and a grant-making opportunity
How does a foundation which supports artists align its portfolio to its mission?
The $114bn Jerome Foundation is eliminating the distinction between its grantmaking dollars and the rest of its investment portfolio, but what does this mean in practice for a foundation which provides grants to support the creation and development of new works by early-career artists?
Are Japan’s asset owners ditching US Treasuries?
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has been intervening in the market to strengthen the yen - in a bid to discourage Japan’s investors from selling dollar assets such as US government bonds. We speak to asset owners to find out if he’s right to be concerned
How this Canadian university fund learnt to box with the Maple Eight
University of British Columbia Investment Management, which is responsible for about $5.4bn in pension and endowment assets, has figured out how to access opportunities which its scale might not otherwise allow it
How are South Africa’s pension funds handling their domestic market’s concentration?
South Africa’s pension funds are required to invest more than half their assets in their domestic market, but over the past 10 years the number of listings on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange has fallen by half. How are they addressing this?
Are Australia’s pension funds stuck in a performance testing loop?
Australia’s pension system has managed to weed out underperforming funds and consolidated its system around fewer, higher-performing MySuper products - but has it found itself stuck in a loop it can’t escape?
How Diego Marrero disrupted Peru’s pension fund market
In the 12 years Diego Marrero spent has AFP Habitat Peru’s chief investment officer, it went from managing no money at all to being one of the country’s four biggest private pension fund managers
How are South Africa’s pension funds using their new-found freedom to invest in alternatives?
South Africa’s pension funds have increased investment in alternatives following legislation which took effect in 2023, but how are they going about doing so?
Native American tribal funds institutionalise as SEC allows investor accreditation
In 2020 the Securities & Exchange Commission allowed tribal funds to register as accredited investors, while that year's Covid pandemic exposed the risks of Indian nations relying on gaming revenues - just two of the factors which have spurred these asset owners to become increasingly institutional.
How can Japan’s GPIF fulfil government demands?
Following her landslide election victory earlier this year, Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi views the $1.8tn Government Pension Investment Fund as a tool to get the country’s economy moving by investing domestically
Why are family offices so wary of AI?
Many family offices are standing on the sidelines as AI stocks have helped push markets skyward - particularly in the US. Why are they so hesitant to get involved?
India’s family offices want to invest in private equity, but it’s complicated
The number of family offices in India has grown nearly sevenfold in recent years, and they are increasingly looking for direct private equity investment. But there are barriers to overcome.
Should asset owners worry about US debt-to-GPD forecasts?
The Congressional Budget Office expects the US debt to GDP to rise to 120 per cent by 2036 from its current 101 per cent. Some asset owners have voiced concern about the long-term reliability of the dollar
Investor conferences – do the big Taiwan insurers find private equity funds there?
While insurers in the country won’t confirm a correlation between attendance and subsequent commitments, the timing suggests that investor conferences play an important role in the fundraising ecosystem for private equity firms seeking Taiwanese institutional capital.
South African pension funds are finally increasing overseas exposure
The government increased the limit on offshore investment from 30 per cent to 45 per cent in 2022. But South African pension funds have failed to take advantage, until now
Is the deadline for reforming Italy’s pension funds unrealistic?
The deadline for implementing reforms to the Italian pension system has arrived but many of the affected funds have yet to apply the new rules
Investors urged not to retreat too far into cash amid market turbulence
While a liquidity crunch in private markets, coupled with an increasingly turbulent macroeconomic backdrop, has resulted in a number of large investors prioritising building portfolios’ liquidity, investment consultants have warned against pivoting too heavily into the space.
Middle East family offices look to OCIO model
Once reticent to externalise investment advisory, family offices in the Gulf Cooperation Council are now looking to outsource their core investment functions. Or so say the experts.