News

Don Hamson has a bee in his bonnet about proposed changes to the franking credit system. Last year he organised a petition by investors opposed to the proposal. Now, with the ALP looking likely to win the May 18 election, he is suggesting a compromise. The founder and managing director of Plato Investment Management, an…

Northern Trust is in discussions with a strategic partner to help build what it believes to be a “game-changing” platform for its blockchain technology. Northern Trust was the first of the global custodian banks to go live with blockchain technology for private equity two years ago. According to Peter Cherecwich, Northern Trust president of Corporate…

Should companies pay their employees more or less? Or should they concentrate on improving non-monetary benefits, such as culture? Should they allow workplace flexibility, for men as well as women? Or is all that fluffy stuff going to impede a company’s returns and stock price? A rare discussion on these aspects of ESG analyses was…

It may be difficult to distinguish between them, but the increasingly popular ‘trend’ or ‘thematic’ investing style is not about chasing the latest ‘fad’. For super funds and other long-term investors, it’s about studying ‘mega trends’ and working out how to get on board. According to a recent report by global manager Robeco, investing with…

Natixis Investment Managers joined an expanding presence of Australian financial services firms supporting this year’s American Australian Association’s ANZAC Day service and lunch in New York on April 25. Natixis, a multi-affiliate manager, accompanied Hostplus, a supporter, in the promotion of Australia’s interests alongside the more solemn ANZAC Day remembrances. David Elia, Host’s chief executive,…

A tough past six months for securities services companies generally was underscored last week with State Street’s quarterly result, which was the first presided over by Ron O’Hanley who was promoted to chief executive in January. Revenue and net income were down for the quarter. However, State Street remains the world’s largest securities servicing firm,…

It may just be a bit of fun from the New York Times but, in the paper’s usual fashion, a lot of evidence is presented to support its thesis. Venture capital managers are increasingly interested in investing in the ‘mystical services market’. That’s astrology to you and me. According to a New York Times report…

by Greg Bright It may take 20 years but the millennial generation may pose the biggest challenge yet to large profit-for-member super funds. Citing anecdotal evidence from his family and other observations, Nick Sherry says the penchant for new technologies and demand for low-cost services by millennials could be the main driver of super in…

Northern Trust, the big global custodian bank and fund manager, has launched in Australia what it calls an ‘integrated trading solution’. The firm has produced a white paper which discusses the trading issues. It’s better to outsource, they say. The paper makes the case for outsourcing securities trading, as well as other aspects of value-add…

Alpha is a zero-sum game and beta is uncertain, according to Steve Merlicek, the famous CIO, now in semi-retirement and, these days, as much a farmer as investment professional. So, what do you do? Merlicek was speaking on the panel session at the Northern Trust seminar in Melbourne (see separate reports) earlier this month. He…

For the global real estate-backed manager, Heitman Capital Management, investing back into Australia and New Zealand adds value across the client base because it gives the firm a better understanding of the local market, too. And real estate debt strategies are a good place to be right now. David Maki, Heitman’s co-head of private real…

Sean Fenton, the highly regarded long/short manager at Tribeca Investment Partners, has left the firm and is talking to potential partners to set up on his own. He sold his shares in Tribeca last year. Fenton, who launched Tribeca’s ‘alpha plus’ (130:30 or 120:20 long/short) fund in 2006, has been replaced by his co-portfolio manager,…