News

(pictured: Adrian Stewart) With the industry’s continued trend of retailisation, State Street has become the third big custodian to link with OneVue for retail registry – due to important client PIMCO’s new digital platform and information portal. As previously announced, PIMCO insourced its retail distribution from Equity Trustees and built up its internal team ahead of…

(pictured: Harry Rosenbluth) by Greg Bright The well-travelled Harry Rosenbluth borrows a term coined by Warren Buffett to describe the current environment for global equities: “there are no fat pitches”; at least in the developed markets. There may be no obvious mispricings, which is what he means, but good managers can always find ways to…

(pictured: Guy Cameron) It is almost certain that the US will begin its long-awaited interest rate rises next week, marking the first by the Federal Reserve in nine years. For global bond managers like Cameron Hume, the size and speed of subsequent rises is more important. Visiting Australia last week for the first time, Guy…

(pictured: Fiona-Trafford-Walker) Frontier Advisors has picked up an international innovation award for its ‘Partners Platform’ technology and is also picking up some new standalone business both in Australia and overseas. The award, from Asset International’s CIO magazine, was in the ‘consultants’ section of the sixth annual CIO Industry Innovation Award, held in New York. There…

(pictured: Sandi Orleow) Five new scholarships were awarded at last Friday’s Women in Super (WIS) NSW Christmas lunch in Sydney, which also boasted a record attendance for the NSW division of about 450 women – and men – from the industry. Sandi Orleow, who became chair of the NSW WIS this year, taking over from Franklin…

(pictured: Ian Silk)  He doesn’t do it very often but when he does it invariably causes a stir. Ian Silk, the boss of Australia’s largest super fund, delivered a state-of-the-nation address to last week’s ASFA conference, calling for the industry to reassess its targets: “What we do isn’t about money, it’s about people”, he said….

(pictured: Jeremy Duffield) Vanguard Investments is going to tender, for the first time since it opened up in Australia, in a review of its securities services partner. It’s an historic moment. For JP Morgan, the incumbent provider, Vanguard was an early daily-pricing client here in the 1990s, setting a benchmark for other managers. Vanguard will assess an…

(pictured: Richard Clarida) The US Federal Reserve will start tightening monetary conditions in December, ramping up rates by 2 per cent over the next two years, according a new analysis by global fixed income manager PIMCO. The paper, authored by PIMCO global strategic advisor Richard Clarida, argues that – barring an international catastrophe – the Fed…

(pictured: Ian Simm) For big super funds and other fiduciary investors, today is an important day, hopefully. The eagerly awaited UN Climate Change Conference starts in Paris. Ian Simm, chief executive of Impax Asset Management, spoke last week about the latest developments in ESG investing. Simm was visiting Australia from London for the ASFA conference in…

(pictured: Kate Stewart) Australasia’s largest corporates are bearish about the coming 12 months, expecting more challenging financing markets in 2016, according to the results of a survey by BNP Paribas and Moody’s to be published today (November 30). Just 9 per cent of chief financial officers and corporate treasury managers expect credit spreads to be ‘highly…

(pictured: Glenn Ashwell) Mercer appears to have lost its largest registry client in New Zealand – the NZ$1.4 billion (A$1.27 billion) ‘Fisher Two’ fund, which was formerly operated by the Tower group – according to a report in Investment News NZ. Mercer’s own KiwiSaver fund will now be its largest registry client. Trustees Executors (TE)…

(pictured: Jack Gray) Robo-advice newcomer Clover is further institutionalising its offering, due to be launched about the middle of next year, with the recruitment of high-profile fund manager and academic Jack Gray to its small investment committee. Clover, co-founded by a former consultant to Equip who helped build the $7 billion fund’s My Pension product,…