Regulators around the world, including the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, are right to be closely monitoring the multitrillion-dollar surge of investors into private assets over the past decade. Criticism over local funds’ investment in tech darling Canva follows a spate of private equity transactions that have raised important asset allocation questions.
National dealer group Spark Financial has partnered with platform Oko Advisers and client software Voyant to help its financial advisers offer sustainable investment options and enhance their ability to manage practice finances effectively.
Natixis Investment Managers has expanded its AFSL allowing it to promote to retail clients.
ASIC has issued an interim stop order on Storehouse Residential Trust, a managed fund promoted by K2 Asset Management.
After announcing a capital raise, professional networking platform Ensombl has officially expanded its international presence with a launch in Cape Town, South Africa.
The New Zealand Super Fund has acquired a 4.99 per cent share in Brussels-based company Euroclear.
The environment and economy, both with the overlay of geopolitics, are the biggest investment challenges but also carry huge opportunities, last week’s AIST Superannuation Investment Conference heard. Artificial intelligence, decarbonisation and re-industrialisation were some of the weighty themes that came up again and again.
Hostplus and Maritime Super have completed their merger after signing a successor fund transfer in December 2022.
Around two-thirds of non-retirees do not feel prepared for retirement, and almost half are reluctant to use their super fund’s pension product, according to research from Investment Trends. The findings come as the government and regulators lambast super trustees over their perceived lethargy towards meeting their obligations to offer a retirement strategy and solutions under the Retirement Income Covenant.
The Future Fund will deploy capital to early-stage companies despite warning that persistent high inflation will continue to create a challenging environment, especially for risk assets. Australia’s $206 billion sovereign wealth fund says it has “high conviction” in its external specialist venture capital investors and will continue to add more active managers to its books six years after going all-in on passive.
Almost 100 trustee-directed products have failed the annual performance test in their first assessment since it was extended from MySuper funds. The bulk were legacy products operated by AMP and Insignia Financial, but Australian Retirement Trust’s QSuper Socially Responsible option also fell foul of the test.
Online investing platform OpenInvest has begun providing a data feed into software provider BGL’s Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360.
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