Australasia
VFMC returns 3.61% in Q1
AUSTRALIA - The A$36.1bn ($38.6bn)Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC) has reported overall of 3.63% Q1 and an annual return of 8.43%.
Fund managers discuss super fund appetite for responsible investment
UK/AUSTRALIA - The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) is to meet with UK fund managers today to discuss how they can meet the growing demand for responsible investment strategies from superannuation funds.
Online feature: Taxing times
Rachel Alembakis looks at how Australian schemes are reducing the impact of taxation on investment returns.
Australian Super funds return 4.5% pa over decade
AUSTRALIA - Australia's biggest Super funds have returned an average of just 4.5% a year over the past decade as a result of the global credit crisis, figures reveal.
CPPIB bids for Intoll Group
AUSTRALIA/CANADA - The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has bid A$3.5bn (US$3.1bn) for Macquarie-backed Australian toll road operator Intoll Group.
Cooper Review outlines reforms for Australian Super
AUSTRALIA - An independent and sweeping review into Australia's trillion dollar superannuation system has called for the creation of a new industry-wide default option and puts greater emphasis on governance for superannuation trustees.
Cooper review propose low-cost MySuper
AUSTRALIA - The preliminary results of the Australian government sponsored Cooper review of the country's pension system has suggested superannuation funds should offer a new low-cost product called MySuper.
IFSA: compulsory government annuities unfair
AUSTRALIA - Compulsory government annuities envisaged by the interim report of the Henry review could be harmful to the ageing population, the Investment and Financial Services Association (IFSA) warned.
PineBridge sale complete
US/ASIA - The sale of American International Group's (AIG) asset management and investment advisory group division, PineBridge Investments, to private equity firm Pacific Century Group (PCG) has been completed.
Future Fund drops negotiations on Transurban
AUSTRALIA/CANADA - Australian pension reserve fund Future Fund has terminated discussions with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) regarding their proposal to acquire Transurban Group.
Aussie super funds and NZ Super rising
AUSTRALASIA - The median Australian superannuation growth fund was up 20.4% in the year ending February while the New Zealand Superannuation fund was up 17.4% from the start of its fiscal year in July.
Bill coming to allow transfer of pension assets from Australia to NZ
NEW ZEALAND - Legislation allowing new Zealanders working in Australia to move their retirement savings back to their home country will be introduced into Parliament in the next two weeks, said minister of finance Bill English.
Aussie pension funds put A$66m with Pengana
AUSTRALIA - Three Australian pension funds have funnelled a combined A$66m (US$60.6m) into the global bond fund managed by Pengana Capital.
Corporate pension funds 'not interested' in UN PRI
GLOBAL - Corporate pension schemes are lagging behind other categories of asset owners in signing up to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment, a consultant claimed.
AMP releases proxy voting actions
AUSTRALIA - AMP Capital Investors voted on 473 resolutions in the first half of this year, the asset manager said in its biannual corporate governance report.
Waiting for the right time for REITs
Lynn Strongin-Dodds explores what the future holds for real estate investment trusts (REITs) in light of the current economic crisis
NZ and Oz agree on portable assets
NEW ZEALAND - The Australian and New Zealand governments have agreed to allow retirement savings to be repatriated between the two countries, the New Zealand government has announced.
Russell unites Australasia retail units
AUSTRALASIA - Russell Investment Group's merger of its institutional and retail advisory units in Australia and New Zealand is motivated by a convergence in both spheres and signals a more "holistic" approach to servicing clients, according to Chris Corneil,...
Russell senior appointments
AUSTRALASIA - Russell Investment Group has made two senior appointments to its Asia Pacific investment team.
Russell merges institutional and retail
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND - Russell Investment Group has merged its institutional and retail businesses, as investors increasingly demand services that cross the retail/institutional divide.
Aussie expectations beat Kiwis
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND - Australia's superannuation system has helped raise workers' expectations for retirement above those of their Kiwi counterparts, a study from Mercer has found.
Mercer brings together outsourcing
AUSTRALASIA - Mercer has brought its Australian, New Zealand and Asian businesses under one umbrella, combining its capabilities in the areas of retirement and benefits outsourcing.
QIC strengthens team
AUSTRALIA - The Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) has appointed Bill Prendergast to the new position of Global Fixed Interest (GFI) beta manager, bringing the company's investment team to 21.
Labor 'must rule out pension tax'
AUSTRALIA - The Labor party must rule out re-introducing a 15% tax on superannuation payouts in order to maintain Australia's economic growth, assistant treasurer Peter Dutton has claimed.
