Morningstar has raised concerns over profit-to-member fund Cbus, citing talent retention, governance and union influence issues. The researcher noted the loss of top-level talent this year, including chief strategy officer Alexandra West and deputy CIO Alexandra Campbell.
A paper published ahead of the Investment Magazine Fiduciary Investors Symposium starting on Tuesday outlines the challenges and considerations for Australian trustees in determining an optimal investment model for their funds. The paper published by 1886 Consulting says there is no single “best” approach, and even emulating the world-leading Canadian model isn’t for everyone.
AMP has made two senior appointments to its super and investment team, reporting to group executive of the division Melinda Howes.
ESG factors are now integral to the investment and risk decisions of large institutional investors such as super funds, although some hurdles remain for ESG to achieve its full potential, including the quality and integrity of the data needed to help inform those investment calls. But ultimately, the only thing that really matters is member outcomes, and that can’t be measured in investment terms alone.
London-based AustralianSuper deputy CIO Damian Moloney oversees the global expansion plans of Australia’s largest superannuation fund. While a global presence has clear benefits for the fund and its members, Moloney’s advice to others contemplating the same is to plan extensively and build early.
QIC is gearing up to expand its hedge fund allocation as – together with insurance exposure – the “strong double-digit return” of its liquid alternatives portfolio was a key contributor to the fund’s record $8.9 billion earnings in the 2024 financial year. Chief investment officer Allison Hill explains why global sovereign wealth funds are hot on hedge funds.
The International Monetary Fund has warned that “liquidity mismatches” are brewing within Australian super funds, as the UN finance agency expressed worries that members might be able to switch out of investment options with too much flexibility considering funds’ substantial investments in illiquid assets. But super industry leaders say the nation’s unique system is well-equipped to handle itself.
As one of the rare public-offer industry super funds with a considerable defined benefit component, Aware Super is keen to apply its investment and liabilities management skills to defined contribution assets in a post-Retirement Income Covenant world. Portfolio manager of retirement strategy Shang Wu unpacks the fund’s DB position.
Kiwi sovereign NZ Super has appointed two joint chief investment officers following the departure of previous CIO Stephen Gilmore who joined CalPERS earlier this year.
In the past two years, the Future Fund has made around $70 billion worth of changes in the portfolio that its director of research and insights, Craig Thorburn, said can be traced back to stubbornly high inflation. As the fund executes its bias toward “owning inflation”, asset allocation around currencies, alternatives and bonds are all looking different.
Gas giant APA Group is bracing for activist shareholder actions at its annual general meeting this week, as climate groups take issue with its plan to develop gas pipelines in the Beetaloo Basin. UniSuper is caught in the fight as a large shareholder of APA Group and the ruckus raises interesting questions about the role of gas in the portfolio.
A reference to American-style voluntary retirement plans by Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has drawn a swift rebuke from defenders of compulsory super, but the Shadow Treasurer insists he is still a supporter of compulsory super, albeit for purposes other than just retirement savings.
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