News

Australia’s administration, trustee and software companies have a great track record in international expansion, unlike many other Australian companies in other industries. With the rapid growth in our super industry, that’s a good thing. It’s good to have Australians looking after Australian assets. We’re probably not smarter than anyone else, on average, and we may…

As the European property market starts to look a bit more interesting, compared with the US anyway, Clarion Partners, a Legg Mason affiliate manager, has spread its wings with the acquisition of Gramercy Europe, another property specialist manager. Clarion is a leading US real estate investment management business with US$50 billion under management, and Gramercy…

by Norman Tweeboom* The Royal Commission and Productivity Commission have sparked a ‘New Age of Transparency’ for Australia’s superannuation industry, joining it in the global march towards better retirement saving outcomes and experiences. How successful it will be relative to other global retirement systems depends on how well the superannuation ecosystem can future proof their…

NZ Super has extended its ESG exclusions policy, ridding itself of any investments in companies involved in the manufacture or distribution of automatic and semi-automatic firearms and parts, which are now prohibited under New Zealand law. Seven international stocks have been excluded from its portfolio. The NZ$41 billion (A$38.7 billion) fund has always had a…

by Greg Bright The trustee board of the $4.5 billion BUSSQ industry fund last Monday, April 1, terminated its long-standing CIO, bypassing the fund’s chief executive in the decision-making process. It was no April Fools’ Day joke. Officially, David O’Sullivan, the CIO of BUSSQ and former chief executive, is “on leave”, according to Linda Vickers,…

Maple-Brown Abbott has rationalised its securities servicing arrangements, which previously included two custodians – RBC Investor Services and NAB Asset Servicing – by replacing them both with a new provider. Maple-Brown, which manages about A$10 billion, is understood to have appointed Northern Trust as its sole securities services provider. It should be pointed out, however,…

Tactical Global Management has launched a new strategy for Australian investors to take a lot of the volatility out of their equities portfolios. Given TGM’s pedigree in currency and multi-asset overlay management, the strategy seems to be ideal for the increasingly important retiree demographic. Dr Peter Higgs, the firm’s London-based founder, was back in Australia…

For years the domain of sophisticated hedge funds, so-called ‘alternative data’ is gaining popularity among traditional fund managers and asset owners. Coupled with other advances, alternative data can give institutional investors an edge in both alpha generation and risk management. According to FactSet, a global data and technology provider, it is becoming almost impossible for…

At long last the global institutional investment world – that is the western pension fund world – is starting to invest in China. According to bfinance, the international manager search and consulting firm, the recent Chinese policy initiatives to attract professionally managed money are starting to have effect. Justin Preston, bfinance senior director and head…

As if we didn’t have enough regulatory issues of our own to contend with, the goings on in Europe – not just Brexit – are providing Australia’s big super funds and their managers with more and more grief. DTCC, at least, is trying to help out. In Australia last week to speak with clients and…

Link Group has appointed Dee McGrath as the new chief executive officer of Link Fund Administration, a role which has recently been filled by group chief executive, John McMurtrie, following the departure last year of Suzanne Holden. The appointment is one of several that the company says underlines its commitment to its clients and technology-led…

The CIMA Society is to forge a closer association with Graham Rich’s Portfolio Construction Forum as the provider of educational services and is also looking at the possibility to expand into New Zealand and Asia, according to Pauline Vamos, the investment educational body’s chair. She advised the Society’s members, who number about 300, in March…