Global equities
MSCI launches climate indices to help investors align with Paris Agreement
MSCI has launched eight indices to enable institutional investors to position their portfolios in line with the Paris Agreement to keep global temperatures within 1.5 degrees.
Fidelity launches three new ESG ETFs
Fidelity International has launched three actively-managed ESG ETFs, further expanding the five-strong Sustainable Family range of funds it released in last September.
Border to Coast launches £5bn global equity alpha fund
The £45bn Border to Coast Pensions Partnership has launched its largest fund to date, with £5bn of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) assets being allocated to global equity alpha.
AMX launches CCFs in bid to boost industry's efficiency and transparency
Asset Management Exchange (AMX) has added tax transparent global equity vehicles to its range of investment funds to cut scheme costs and increase transparency across the industry.
Investor confidence rose in January; Growing appetite for risk amid global growth
Investor confidence in Europe rose by 16.0 points in January with each region showing growing appetite for risk, according to research by State Street Global Exchange.
UK exits 2017 on record high; leads European equity markets
UK equities closed the year at an all-time high, putting the seal on a good year for the stock market, according to S&P Dow Jones.
Schemes should invest in global equity and multi-asset for cash flow needs
Capital Group and Newton Investment Management have teamed up to raise awareness of how negative cash flows among defined benefit (DB) schemes should be tackled differently.
Readers would bet money on global equities and infrastructure in 2017
Equities and infrastructure are the top asset classes to bet on doing well next year, according to PP research.
Bond bubble fears ease following uptick in Q4 2015
The perception of bond markets being overvalued has fallen significantly, after concerns of a price bubble escalated last December.
Just 15% of funds have large tilt towards sustainable factors
The number of funds that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when they make investment decisions is small according to MSCI research.
Blackrock warns Brexit offers plenty of risk for little reward
There would be little to gain from Britain leaving the EU, according to a paper from BlackRock Investment Institute (BII).
DB schemes are 'too defensive' and should 're-risk into equities'
Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes should move away from index-linked gilts and increase exposure to risk assets in order to plug deficits, according to research by Fathom Consulting.
RPMI Railpen and Unigestion launch two funds
Two factor-based equity funds have been launched by Unigestion in collaboration with RPMI Railpen which is providing seed capital for the projects.
PPF 7800 deficits fall 11% as yields rise
The funding level of defined benefit (DB) schemes in the Pensions Protection Fund's (PPF) 7800 index has improved on the back of rising gilt yields.
Is January's market turmoil a sign of worse to come in 2016?
PP asks if schemes should be worried about big surges in volatility
Markets overvalued says industry
The majority of respondents to Professional Pensions research are worried stock or share bubble may be about to burst.
Why a 'golden era' in pension funding is dawning
Rupert Brindley believes good times are just around the corner for struggling defined benefit schemes
EU and Japanese equities to outperform US as monetary policies diverge
Eurozone and Japanese equities will outperform the US market next year as their central banks start to move in very different directions, according to NN Investment Partners.
European investors get UCITS offers from Nuveen and TIAA-CREF partnership
Investors in Europe will be offered access to three responsible fund strategies for the first time say Nuveen Investments and TIAA-CREF.
The key questions schemes need to ask about volatility
We have seen major volatility in world stock markets in recent weeks. Karen Heaven highlights the key questions schemes need to ask.
DB deficits exceed combined annual salary of UK workers
The £900bn deficit in UK defined benefit (DB) schemes would require more than a year's salary from every person in the UK to fix, according to Hymans Robertson.
Why schemes must diversify more and lower expectations
Stephanie Flanders sets out the three key themes for investors
Schemes will be forced to raise equity exposure after years of de-risking
Pension schemes are likely to raise their exposure to equities in the next three years as they chase returns in the face of low bond yields, according to research.
Towers Watson upgrades bond rating to 'neutral' amid rising yields
Towers Watson has urged dynamic investors to take a short-term neutral position on UK and US bond rates after previously recommending a moderately underweight position.