Takapuna-based boutique, Pathfinder, has boosted its responsible investment credentials becoming the first NZ fund manager to hire an in-house environmental, social and governance (ESG) specialist. ESG analyst, Rebecca Lindegger, joined Pathfinder last week along with operations and compliance manager, Bob McCutcheon, joining a team of four in the firm’s Auckland North Shore office. John Berry,… [Read More…]
Archives for February 2018
Magellan steps up to next phase of growth
Magellan Financial Group has made two significant acquisitions, which signal a new phase of growth as a diversified multi-style manager, backoffice services provider and distributor. Airlie Funds Management gives Magellan a quality Australian equities offering and Frontier Partners in Chicago gives it a standalone distribution business. The founders of Airlie are John Sevior and David… [Read More…]
Bumper 2017 pushes pension funds to record high as diversification continues apace
Global pension funds raked in a record US$4.8 trillion during 2017 pushing total assets under management to an all-time high of US$41.3 trillion, according to the 20th Willis Towers Watson (WTW) annual survey of the sector. On average the pension assets managed by the 22 jurisdictions covered in the WTW report – now housed under… [Read More…]
ASB looks to unlock child savings with fund idea
Commonwealth Bank of Australia subsidiary ASB is testing the market for new, possibly robo-advice driven, direct-to-consumer managed funds platform aimed at helping parents save for their children. If switched on, the ASB ‘MoneyTree’ platform – currently in beta-testing – would offer access to “high performing managed funds without the high minimum deposits”, according to the… [Read More…]
NZ-first impact fund makes $8m debut
The country’s first NZ-centric ‘impact’ investment fund has falling just shy of target in the opening round of capital-raising which closed off last week with $8 million committed from 35 investors. However, the Impact Enterprise Fund (IEF) – a collaborative venture between the Ākina Foundation, New Ground Capital and Impact Ventures – could still hit… [Read More…]
How AI will impact funds management… and everything else we do
Fund managers are in an unusual position to study most aspects of society – from commerce and politics through to technological trends. They look for both fallout and opportunities. The current forces on societies around the world offer up a mine of opportunities, but also a minefield of risks. AXA Investment Managers, a global fund… [Read More…]
New index range targets the female factor
Global financial benchmark-maker FTSE Russell has released a new female-friendly index series favouring companies with significant board gender diversity. In a statement released last week the London Stock Exchange-owned index provider said FTSE Women on Boards Leadership Index Series would kick off with two products based on UK and US markets. First to roll off… [Read More…]
Arriviste KiwiSaver schemes on the charge in 2017
Late model KiwiSaver schemes surged ahead in 2017 with all three of the relatively recent releases climbing the Morningstar funds under management (FUM) rankings in 2017. The Morningstar December 2017 quarter KiwiSaver report released last week shows BNZ, Generate, and Simplicity as the only schemes to rise up the FUM tables during the calendar year…. [Read More…]
Prugue bows out at Lazard; Bargholz exits BT; Wilson bags top Aussie honour
Rob Prugue is retiring as head of Lazard Asset Management’s Asia-Pacific region, including Japan. The highly regarded fund manager is taking a three-month sabbatical, going for a very long walk and contemplating a new direction. Prugue will be leaving Lazard on February 28, after 15 years with the firm. He said in a statement late… [Read More…]
CAF closes as cash PIEs go cold
AMP Capital is formally winding up the once-mighty Cash Advantage Fund (CAF) following an official request from the product’s depository bank, Rabobank. The CAF closure, flagged last year after Rabobank NZ called time on selling managed funds via its online platform, RaboDirect, has been scheduled for February 23 with transactions to be completed by close… [Read More…]