Investment News

Challenger index fund brand, Kernel Wealth, has published a new study espousing the benefits of global listed infrastructure in an era of rising rates and higher inflation. The Kernel report, authored by research analyst Chi Nguyen, found listed infrastructure has historically outperformed other global asset classes including broader equities, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and… [Read More…]

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) had clearly done enough talking. In a damning seven-page direction order issued to Simplicity last week, the regulator suggests earlier efforts to persuade the largely passive investment provider to tone down unsubstantiated marketing claims had fallen on deaf ears. “Prior formal and informal engagement on related matters does not appear… [Read More…]

Mercer NZ head of consulting, David Scobie, is set to end an almost 20-year stint with the firm, returning to Treasury for a career sequel. Scobie will leave Mercer at the end of March to assume the new role of principal advisor on the Treasury capital markets division. In a note to clients, he said… [Read More…]

Last week Kiwi Group Holdings (KGH) owned up to the open secret that its prime wealth management asset was in play. KGH confirmed Goldman Sachs as the investment bank charged with driving “the process of assessing possible options for the sale of Kiwi Wealth”. The “time is right to test market interest” in Kiwi Wealth,… [Read More…]

Long-time Pie Funds portfolio manager, Chris Bainbridge, has departed the firm amid a reshuffle at the $2.4 billion plus investment business Bainbridge left Pie this month after almost 10 years to “pursue business opportunities”, according to the group’s latest newsletter. He was mainly responsible for helping run the flagship Australasian Growth funds, valued at more… [Read More…]

ASB has opted out of the retail derivatives game, cancelling its Financial Markets Authority (FMA) licence to offer the high-risk products last week. A spokesperson for the bank said: “ASB has made the decision to no longer provide regulated offers of derivatives to retail customers and therefore we no longer require a derivatives issuer licence…. [Read More…]

Auckland-headquartered fintech business, Invsta, has released another in its series of industry ‘white papers’, focusing this time on its own sector. The new Invsta report gleans lessons for the wider financial services industry from the breakout success of online investment platforms and changing customer expectations. “Having been exposed to the efficiencies that digital interfaces and… [Read More…]

While proponents believe that cryptocurrencies will inevitably disrupt traditional finance, it’ll be harder than it seems – and less lucrative than they think. As cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have shot to prominence in the last several years, it’s now being taken as a given that they will eventually disrupt traditional finance. Blockchain technology offers… [Read More…]

The global exchange-traded fund (ETF) market is expected to double over the next four years to reach more than $20 trillion, according to a new PwC report. Based on a survey of 60 fund or service provider executives across four regions in June 2021, the PwC study found more than half of respondents tipped ETF… [Read More…]

Factor-specialist Northern Trust Asset Management (NTAM) has established a quantitative investment team targeting the Asia-Pacific region. Australia-based, Scott Bennett, will head the new NTAM APAC quant unit across the dual locations of Melbourne and Hong Kong. Bennett joined NTAM in 2018 as head of quant research for Australia and NZ. Before moving to NTAM, Bennett… [Read More…]