Nearly every Australian has super, but its settings don’t work for every Australian, according to the First Nations Foundation, which is advocating for changes around estate planning and the preservation age to make the system fairer.
Betting against acts of God is a great way to make money, but institutional allocations to natural catastrophe reinsurance have stayed relatively static even as some managers are generating double-digit uncorrelated returns.
Rising tide of confidence in Australasian private equity
Investors – limited partners (LPs) – are becoming more positive about the Asia Pacific region as they see the risk-reward profile improving in several key markets. A recent survey by Coller Capital found that investors were more bullish on opportunities in India, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Australia.
The survey of 113 LPs compares with 2012 when the previous survey was conducted. The standout in rising confidence was Japan, according to the survey, which serves as a good background document for the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum (AVCJ Forum) to be held in Hong Kong from November 3-5.
The notable exception to this optimistic mood, according to the survey, was China. One-third of LPs said the risk-reward balance was “deteriorating”. Reasons cited included the country’s slowing economic growth and heady valuations.
Understanding how to capitalize on these opportunities – and also manage the downside risk – will be a priority for the more than 1,000 delegates attending the AVCJ Forum, the largest Asia-focused private equity and venture capital event.
The AVCJ Forum is the centre of a week-long “ecosystem” of investor meetings, conference sessions and networking dinners that attracts the “best and the brightest” from the alternative assets industry to Asia.
From Australia, there will be four speakers: Steve Byrom, head of private equity at the Future Fund; Marcus Simpson, head of global private equity at QIC; Simon Pillar, managing director at Pacific Equity Partners; and, Barry Zuckerman, chief financial officer and chief operating officer at Champ Private Equity. From Singapore there is the regional head of private equity for KPMG, Andrew Thompson.
This year, the Forum will comprise four separate components, each tailored to address the needs of the industry, including:
> PE Leaders Summit (Nov 3): A one-day interactive program tailored to address the day-to-day business and operational issues facing the managers of private equity funds across Asia
> Venture Capital Summit (Nov 3): a one-day interactive program addressing the key trends affecting venture capital globally
> Limited Partners’ Summit (Nov 3): an exclusive event for LPs to meet, network and discuss investment opportunities and challenges
> Investment Summit (Nov 4-5): focusing on the big issues, market opportunities and emerging trends in private equity and venture capital
To register for a delegate pass, book online at www.avcjforum.com or contact Carolyn Law via email at: [email protected] or phone: +852 3411 4837.
