Europeans (effete liberals!) love it. Public pensions and foundations (goody-two-shoes!) like it. Yet, to American corporate defined benefit plans, socially responsible investing—bearded hippies!—has been anathema to their very existence. Will this ever change?
After a 2.1% loss on its global assets in 2008, the China investment Corp. will likely post its best yearly gain in 2009, boosted by rebounding markets and investment in commodity-related companies.
In a a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods survey of chief investment officers
overseeing US institutional portfolios, investors are showing a growing
interest in “barbell” allocations to indexed equities and high-alpha
alternatives.
Fund managers at the University of
Texas
endowment are allotting money to a commodity that most investors turn to
when
they expect high inflation and economic hardship.
During the best of times and the worst of times, people will continue
to drink, smoke, gamble and fight. Here’s an assessment of the Vice
Fund portfolio, firsthand. Paula Vasan reports.
A study shows that even though pension assets in Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries remain below
December 2007 levels, some countries. such as Hungary and Norway, have
already recuperated completely from 2008 losses.
A new study by consulting firm Mercer shows US pension deficits have reached a record high, revealing a downturn in pension health that erases gains achieved since January 2009.
Allocations to alternative assets -- specifically to commodities and
infrastructure -- have continued to rise and now account for 17% of all
pension fund assets globally, up from 6% ten years ago, Towers Watson
research reveals.
