Organisations using legacy platforms will struggle to meet market and regulatory requirements, and should consider an investment book of record, according to one technology provider. “When organisations are still using a legacy platform, they are forced to build and develop satellite systems, all sorts of different systems to try and move with the evolving requirements,” … Read more
The challenge: combine investment data with member-specific details and present the particular information in a way that satisfies the needs of regulators, internal auditors and accountants. Currently, super funds have to collect around 900 data items on a regular basis to satisfy the needs of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). With effect from July, … Read more
A Chinese proverb says “women hold up half the sky” and, while Australia may have been among one of the first nations to implement universal suffrage, glass ceilings can still be a hazard for professional women in this day and age. See what Future Fund chair David Gonski has to say on equal representation on super … Read more
The recent financial crisis shed light on a number of new sources of risk. On the one hand there was the extreme correlation between the real estate mortgage and equity markets, and on the other hand the extreme price sensitivity of all assets to the counterparty and liquidity risks of the financial system with respect … Read more
It might only have $100 million under management, but Perpetual’s Diversified Real Return Fund has a major role to play in the future of the fund manager as it rebounds from recent turmoil. Perpetual’s roller coaster ride is well known in the industry. The $1.2 billion that walked out the door when John Sevior left … Read more
American fund manager William Blair has named its top-three investment themes for 2013, nominating attractive valuations in China, the US domestic housing market and the stabilisation of the European financial sector as the stories to watch. Executives from the Chicago-based firm, which has a 70-plus-year history in investment markets, were in Australia in February to … Read more
The Brisbane-based Tactical Global Management (TGM) won more than $4.2 billion of new mandates in the last quarter of 2012 and has picked up a global “excellence in investment management” award in recognition of its services. The mandates included a $4-billion rebalancing overlay, a $200-million currency overlay and a smaller beta-transfer mandate, each tailored to … Read more
An environment of low prospective investment returns and relatively high volatility demands more refined, “outcome-oriented” investment solutions, according to the global chief investment officer of Russell Investments, Pete Gunning. Institutional investors and financial planning firms, Gunning says, need to have at their disposal a far wider range of investment options – “componentry”, in Russell’s terms … Read more
Emerging-market debt is one of the 2013’s key themes, but one of the most promising components of the asset class – local-currency corporate debt – has yet to appear on the radar screens of many investors. That is the view from global fund manager PineBridge Investments, two managers who were in Australia in February for … Read more
The aviation industry-based superannuation fund AvSuper has awarded a $75-million mandate to Perpetual Investments, to be managed in a concentrated Australian equity strategy. AvSuper has about $1.4 billion in funds under management and 6100 members. The concentrated equity strategy is managed by Paul Skamvougeras, who says the concentrated equity portfolio typically holds about 30 stocks. … Read more
Australia’s “lump-sum” mentality when it comes to superannuation is a key challenge for government and industry, says Nick Sherry, senior adviser to Citi, arguing that the system is need of a significant change in parameters. “Australia is the land of the lump sum. I call it the lotto mentality,” he tells IM Online. “The classic … Read more
The Association of Superannuation Funds Australia (ASFA) will be pushing industry to project future performance using a “balanced scorecard”, according to its chief executive officer, Pauline Vamos. In line with more transparent reporting protocols, Vamos says while the focus in super has traditionally been past performance, there are ways to give indicators of future performance. … Read more
The investment intelligence behind Australia’s largest asset owners and their teams
In-depth interviews with leaders, experts and visionaries in the institutional investment community
Updates on the latest industry policy developments and regulation
The challenges and innovations of custody, technology and operational due diligence
Investment Magazine provides in-depth, monthly analysis of trends and developments for all the businesses in which superannuation funds engage‚ including asset allocation, investment manager selection, custody and fund accounting, member administration, group insurance and compliance.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land upon which Conexus Financial sits, the Cadigal of the Eora Nation. We recognise their continuing connection and unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and community. We pay our deepest respects to them and their culture, and to Elders both past and present.
