Investment News

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) will slash its top-level leadership ranks almost in half under a restructure plan laid out last week by new chief, Samantha Barrass. As part of a ‘change programme’ signaled earlier this year the FMA executive numbers will fall to six (excluding the CEO) from the current 11 as of next… [Read More…]

The NZ Superannuation Fund (NZS) has removed about 7,400 companies from its passive global equities universe following the shift to a low-carbon index reported last week. According to a NZS spokesperson, the updated passive international shares component of the fund’s reference portfolio now holds only about 1,100 stocks compared to the 8,500 companies in its… [Read More…]

Annuitas chief, Simon Tyler, formally ended his 10-year stint at the Wellington-based investment house last week. In a note, Tyler said he would “move on to other things” after a decade running the organisation that invests on behalf of the Government Superannuation Fund (GSF) and the National Provident Fund (NPF) “I have had a great… [Read More…]

BNP Paribas Securities Services has gone with local knowledge and experience for the new head of its Australia and New Zealand business, appointing a 24-year State Street veteran to the role. Daniel Cheever, most recently State Street’s head of global services, including institutional business, started at BNP Paribas this week. He said last week that… [Read More…]

Asset allocators have had a tough time in 2022 during a period where equities ran out of puff and bonds lost their fluff. As Chris Douglas, MyFiduciary principal, told the Heathcote Investment Partners ‘Meet the Managers’ roadshow last week, the go-to diversifier 60/40 portfolio suffered its worst first half-year performance in almost 50 years. Figures… [Read More…]

Niche NZ financial services firm, Dynamique, is to exit the training and continuing professional development (CPD) market amid declining profitability in the sector. In a note to clients, Dynamique director, Guy Dobson, said the firm was looking to sell its CPD and financial training assets built up over more than 20 years operating in the… [Read More…]

Portfolios built along factor lines may be better-placed to withstand the grinding effects of high inflation, a recent study probing almost 150 years of market returns has found. The analysis by Dutch investment giant, Robeco, shows bonds and equities in general have delivered positive nominal and real returns during periods of modest inflation and deflation… [Read More…]

The UK financial regulator has flagged a crackdown on environmental, social and governance (ESG) benchmarks after finding many were riddled with flaws. In a letter to industry leaders earlier this month, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) director of infrastructure and exchanges, Edwin Schooling Latter, says some ESG index providers have “not accurately described the economic… [Read More…]

The smart money in the alternatives space is likely to flow into CTAs, or trend-following hedge funds, and global macro strategies, according to an annual survey by capital introduction specialists Agecroft Partners LLC. The survey is taken of more than 1,000 registrants at one of the biggest events on the calendar catering both asset allocators,… [Read More…]

Almost three-quarters of family office portfolios fell in value since the start of the year as market volatility hammered almost all assets, according to a new Citibank global survey. The 2022 Citi Private Bank study of the sector – the fourth in the annual series – found a “sizable 43% experienced a decline greater than… [Read More…]