Report
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October, 2020
ESG inflows surge post-pandemic
ESG equity funds enjoyed record inflows in July, bucking negative sentiment towards broader equity strategies. Inflows into ESG funds grew to £362 million in July, according to research by Calastone, with total commitments of £1.2 billion between April and July greater than all previous years combined. Meanwhile equity funds shed £240 million in ...
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October, 2020
LGPS committees score high on markets knowledge
Local government pension scheme committee members’ understanding of investment and financial markets is high, Hymans Robertson National Knowledge Assessment found, but more work is needed on less traditional areas of focus such as administration. The assessment was conducted to help funds benchmark the knowledge and understanding of their pension ...
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August, 2020
Real estate assets hit record high
Global real estate assets under management reached a record €3.2 trillion at the end of 2019, according to data from the Asian Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles (ANREV), European Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate (INREV) and National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF), a 16% rise on the ...
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August, 2020
Brunel hires Macquarie for mandate transition management
Brunel Pension Partnership, one of the eight investment pools for local authority pension schemes, has appointed Macquarie to provide transition management solutions for a series of upcoming mandates. Macquarie has developed a deep understanding of the pool’s unique requirements, designing innovative solutions to help their LGPS clients analyse, plan, ...
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August, 2020
LGPS cuts deficit
The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) increased its funding level to 98% in 2019, up from 85% three years earlier. The LGPS deficit stood at just £6 billion last year, compared with £37 billion in 2016, after generating a net investment return of 6.6%. That was higher than the 4.4% return recorded a year earlier. During the year, there was an ...
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August, 2020
Lothian commits to responsible investment principles
Lothian Pension Fund has adopted a new statement of responsible investment principles, including targets to assess the carbon intensity of all assets by the end-2022 reporting cycle. The £8 billion local government pension scheme signed up to the six Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), an organisation which supports and enables asset owners and ...
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August, 2020
Falling inflation could cost schemes £5 billion
A prospective fall in inflation below zero could place an additional £5 billion in funding pressure on schemes, according to analysis by consultancy LCP. The firm has modelled the likely level of inflation over the coming months based on three economic scenarios – whether the economy is “stuck in the doldrums”, “steady as she goes” or enjoying ...
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August, 2020
Brunel hits carbon reduction goals
Brunel Pensions Partnership has achieved its target to reduce the carbon intensity of its active portfolios by an annual 7% against their respective benchmarks. In its first responsible investment and stewardship outcome report, the local authority pool revealed that it had achieved its carbon reduction goal after developing a “five-point plan to build a ...
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August, 2020
Global equities stage second quarter rally
US and European equities posted a sharp recovery during the second quarter, buoyed by fiscal and monetary stimulus. The S&P 500 gained 21% during the three months to the end of June, as stimulus from the Federal Reserve and Congress, coupled with the relaxation of some Covid-19-driven economic restrictions, aided the market rebound. Volatility also ...
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August, 2020
Ex Bank of England governor takes up ESG and impact role
Former Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, has been appointed as vice chair and head of ESG and impact fund investing at Brookfield Asset Management, as part of plans to expand its ESG product range. Carney, who is currently the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, will be tasked with developing a group of funds that will work to ...
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