Archives for 2016

Willis Towers Watson has recruited Sue Brake, one of the people who put together the governance structure for the launch of NZ Super and a former adviser to the IMF, in a senior consulting role based in Sydney. Brake started this month in a role which she describes as “across the board, with an emphasis… [Read More…]

Investors shouldn’t over-react to the recent spike in interest rates by bailing out of global bonds, according to Ben Trollip, recently-appointed senior investment consultant at Melville Jessup Weaver (MJW). In a note published last week, Trollip says while the trend-setting US 10-year Treasury yields have jumped 0.75 per cent since September 30, the move was… [Read More…]

Auckland-based boutique firm Castle Point Funds Management has celebrated its third birthday by signing on a new distribution partner. Richard Stubbs, Castle Point co-founder, said last week the deal with Heathcote Investment Partners would lift the firm’s profile in the advisory market. “We have been looking to increase our resources for supporting advisers and partnering… [Read More…]

After a five-year burst of portfolio realignment sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have slowed the pace of change, according to new research. The International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF) survey released earlier this month found the “significant shift” towards alternative assets initiated by members over the previous half-decade has stalled. About half of the 10… [Read More…]

Managing forex exposure could be the most important decision global investors have to make in a persistent low-return world, Bridgewater co-CIO, Bob Prince, told the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF) Auckland conference this month. Prince said if the next decade and beyond follows the expected course of low growth and subdued returns –… [Read More…]

Matt Lawler, the former chief executive of boutique Australian financial services firm Yellow Brick Road, has joined OneVue as executive general manager of Wealth Management Services. In a passionate address to the company’s AGM, OneVue CEO Connie Mckeage outlined not only the future for the company, including Lawler’s role, but also the future for retail… [Read More…]

AMP Capital Australia has dumped two senior investment managers in a restructure of its global equities and fixed income teams. Following the revamp, both head of global listed infrastructure, Tim Humphreys, and head of credit and core, David Carruthers, have left the business, AMP Capital said in a statement last week. The reshuffle has seen… [Read More…]

The UK financial regulator has gone to town on the country’s funds management industry calling for a raft of measures to reduce fees, improve disclosure and increase competition. In a wide-sweeping report released last week, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recommends stronger investor best interest requirements for fund managers as well as introducing an “all-in… [Read More…]

Improving governance offers institutional investors win-win – or at least not-lose-win – odds of boosting performance potentially outdoing even the most optimistic post-fees alpha earned from active management, according to a new Willis Towers Watson (WTW) paper. The ‘Investment case for better asset owner governance’ study, authored by former New Zealand Superannuation Fund head of… [Read More…]

KiwiSaver monthly transfers hit an annual high during September spiking to 1.5-times the growth in new members, the latest Inland Revenue Department (IRD) statistics show. According to the IRD figures, over 15,000 KiwiSaver members swapped schemes in September, up almost 2,000 on the previous month and about 7,000 more than the 12-month low reported last… [Read More…]