In a move that resonates on this side of the Tasman amid political musings about preferred NZ Superannuation Fund investments, the Australian government has issued a new directive to its Future Fund. Investor Strategy News editor, Lachlan Maddock, ponders the impact of a worrisome mission creep… The Albanese Government’s tweaks to the Future Fund’s mandate… [Read More…]
Return of the 60/40: JP Morgan takes upbeat view on balanced fund future, includes NZ dollar first
JP Morgan Asset Management has forecast a solid future for the classic 60/40 portfolio in its 2025 Long-term Capital Markets Assumptions (LTCMA) report that debuts a NZ-dollar performance estimate. The LTCMA paper says a 60/40 blend of shares and equities is expected to return 6.4 per cent over the next 15 years in US currency… [Read More…]
Bridgewater hops on ETF bandwagon
Storied US-based hedge fund, Bridgewater, is to join the active exchange-traded fund (ETF) herd in a deal inked with State Street Global Advisors last week. Under the agreement, State Street will front an ETF version of the Bridgewater ‘All Weather’ strategy in a first for the world’s largest hedge fund founded by Ray Dalio. The… [Read More…]
Why asset allocators shouldn’t fear the future
If there’s one lesson for investors from the past five years, it’s that chopping and changing their strategy – even in the face of massive market turmoil – doesn’t always pay. Investors have spent the past five years fumbling their way through the fog of uncertainty that descended over everything in late 2019, with each… [Read More…]
Power plays: navigating the NZ electricity market
Mint Asset Management Portfolio Manager, David Fyfe, plugs into the local energy sector and finds the market poised for a renewable upgrade but in a phased ‘just transition’… It’s been a charged year for New Zealand’s electricity market, and not just because of the literal power surges. Earlier in the year, a perfect storm… [Read More…]
Government mulls get-out-of-tax card for NZ Super
The NZ Superannuation Fund (NZS) could soon achieve a long-cherished dream of tax-free status after the government formally put the concept on its to-do list last week. In a release last week, Revenue Minister Simon Watts noted that the National-led administration’s new Tax and Social Policy Work Programme would consider “whether the New Zealand Superannuation… [Read More…]
Morningstar staffs up; Trust takes on Tourell; veteran Magellan exec resigns; NTAM hires APAC quant head from Robeco
Morningstar has named Eva Cook as director of manager research ratings as well as new equities asset class lead for Australia and New Zealand. Cook joins Morningstar from the giant New South Wales government fund, TCorp, where she was head of equity partner selection following a portfolio management role at BT Financial Group. The research… [Read More…]
Venture fund looks for KiwiSaver support, sees capital crunch, cuts staff
The government-owned venture capital (VC) operation is hoping to lure more KiwiSaver providers into the sector, according to its latest annual report. KiwiSaver funds represent 8 per cent of money invested in the local venture ‘ecosystem’ over the 12 months to June 30, the NZ Growth Capital Partners (NZGCP) 2024 report notes. “While we have… [Read More…]
KiwiSaver delivers risk-return equality in September quarter
Investment performance fell in a narrow range across all KiwiSaver aggregate risk profiles during the September quarter, new Morningstar shows, with default funds edging the field. The average default fund was up 4.2 per cent for the three months to September 30, according the Morningstar KiwiSaver survey, as other risk-weighted returns ranged from 3.6 per… [Read More…]
Consultant moots all-you-can-EET retirement savings reboot
Veteran NZ investment consultant, Jonathan Eriksen, is advocating for a back-to-the-future superannuation tax change that could see investment returns increase by almost a third. In a note included with the latest EriksensGlobal superannuation master trust quarterly report, he called for the reversal of an investment “tax change made in December 1987 and switch from TTE… [Read More…]