Analysis

by Greg Bright Investment managers have forever been looking for new models with which to work. And, according to John Goetz, there is an unlimited number of factors which can go to make up those models. But models can’t do everything. The New York-based managing principal and co-CIO of global value manager Pzena Investment Management…

Comment by Patrick Liddy* The last few weeks have witnessed an interesting debate on energy reliability in Australia, although this debate is also happening around the world. It has exposed the inconvenient facts around renewables, regulation and market failure. And provided us with a bit of political entertainment in the process. It has also brought…

As big super funds insource more of their investment management they will probably be changing the way they think about their whole portfolio. A new research paper provides some interesting insights into the relationship between individual manager skill and total portfolio returns. The research, by implementation manager Parametric, goes to support the use of centralised portfolio…

By Emily Gordon* Data can be a powerful enabler of change, particularly when transparent, as we’re seeing when it comes to driving gender-diversity change and corporate-culture reform. It is an historical moment for markets when the ‘push’ for gender diversity becomes a ‘pull,’ as growing sets of data reveal the adopters from the laggards. Further,…

The financial services industry will lose its emotional connection with thousands of members and clients unless it finds new ways to stop advisers from prematurely retiring ahead of the introduction of the Life Insurance Framework, according to a white paper by ClearView. Titled ‘What’s old is new again’, the paper claims many mature advisers in their…

Historical evidence suggests global listed infrastructure would bounce back strongly after a poor run in the latter half of 2016 that included the worst monthly performance relative to equities for more than 10 years, according to new research from AMP Capital. In ‘Global listed infrastructure: not just a bond proxy’, AMP Capital says the recent divergence…

Investment insourcing by big super funds has been a hot topic for the institutional segment of the industry for several years. But the insource/outsource topic is bigger than just investments. A paper by implementation specialist manager Parametric has weighed into the discussion. The paper, written by Raewyn Williams, managing director of research in Australia, shows…

by Greg Bright Bernie Fraser may not be what you’d think of as “independent” from the not-for-profit super fund sector. But his report on fund governance delivered last week represents the most reasoned assessment of “independence” so far presented for the industry’s and Government’s consideration. The Fraser report, which came about because of the Government former…

There is a growing expectation from employees that their workplaces need to be “mentally healthy”, with most likely to leave if it is not, according to a survey for the annual ‘Work in Progress’ report by SuperFriend. The report measures the current state of mental health in Australian workplaces, rating organisations against 38 “desired state…

Private debt investing is not exactly new. It is, however, enjoying a renaissance around the world as market conditions and the changing appetites of institutional investors have combined to focus attention on the alternative asset class. Interest rates are rising, valuations are stretched and the demographic shift to retirement is demanding yield-providing investments as well…

NAB’s New Zealand subsidiary BNZ has joined the post-Financial Markets Conduct Act (FMC) product renaissance with the launch of a new range of funds under its own banner. It is blending inhouse strategies from MLC and JANA with other external managers. And for the first time, too, BNZ will provide direct access for NZ investors…

In a series of papers prepared with Harvard professor George Serafeim, Calvert Investment Management has studied how the changing role of the corporation in society is providing new investment opportunities. The broader role of, especially, global companies is affecting their stock market valuations. Calvert, a US$12 billion ESG-specialist US and global manager founded in the…