Report
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April, 2021
Real estate returns rebound
European real estate returns improved during the fourth quarter thanks to growing investor confidence in the asset class. The INREV Pan-European Quarterly Asset Level Index generated a total return of 1.92%, up from 1.21% during the third quarter. The INREV Quarterly Fund Index, which represents 333 funds, tells a similarly positive story, with a total ...
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April, 2021
First major insurer sets net zero target for 2040
Aviva has become the first major insurer globally to target net zero carbon emissions by 2040. The goal will cover the group’s scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and include shareholder assets and policy holder assets where Aviva has decision-making control. By the end of 2022 it will divest from all companies that make more than 5% of their revenue from coal ...
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April, 2021
UK equity flows turn positive
UK-focused equity funds recorded their first net inflows in eight months in February, despite investors giving a lukewarm reception to the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. Investors added £145 million to their portfolios, according to Calastone’s Fund Flow Index, a reversal in the eight-month stint of outflows, second in duration only to the ...
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April, 2021
ACCESS appoints ESG support
The ACCESS pool has appointed European independent stewardship support service, Minerva Analytics, to support the development of its responsible investment approach. Minerva Analytics will be helping ACCESS with a comprehensive review and revision of the pool’s responsible investment guidelines to ensure they capture the very latest thinking on ...
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February, 2021
IA and PLSA form stewardship steering group
The Investment Association and the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) have joined forces to launch a new steering group to examine how stewardship and a focus on long-term investment can be better integrated into the investment process. It is hoped the group – which will be co-chaired by PLSA chair, Richard Butcher, and global head of ...
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February, 2021
Small caps beat FTSE-All share post-pandemic
UK small-caps outperformed the FTSE All-Share in 2020, according to a review of the Numis Smaller Companies Index (NSCI). The NSCI, which has 696 constituents comprising the bottom 10% of the UK main listed market by value, recovered from a March low-point to achieve an all-time high on 29 December and finished the year with a total return of 1.1%. Over ...
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February, 2021
Third of climate funds invested in oil and gas stocks
One third of climate-themed funds being sold in the UK were invested in oil and gas producing companies at their most recent filing date, according to research from think tank Common Wealth, highlighting concerns that investors could be misled over the true nature of sustainable investment products. The research analysed a cohort of over 10,000 mutual ...
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February, 2021
LGPS forecast to record negative cashflow in near-term
The LGPS will be in an aggregate negative cashflow position within the next few years, investment advisory group Linchpin has forecast, as the yield on assets traditionally used to match liabilities has slumped. During the year to March 2020, there was a deficit of 1.2% in contributions over expenditure, according to data from the Ministry of Housing, ...
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February, 2021
Busy year forecast for bulk annuity market
Market volatility resulting from the ongoing pandemic and Brexit could present derisking opportunities for schemes, a report for Willis Towers Watson suggests. Over £30 billion of buy-ins and buyouts were completed last year, according to the group, while more than £24 billion of longevity swaps were carried out. However, a similar level could be ...
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February, 2021
Fund managers lacking on climate engagement
The portfolios of the world’s 30 largest fund managers, which collectively hold $50 trillion in assets, continue to be misaligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement and require urgent action to drive change in key climate-risk sectors, a report by think tank InfluenceMap has found. The report scored companies based on three criteria: engagement with ...
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