Investment News

The NZX has penciled in further fund acquisition and product launches as part of its ‘2.0’ growth strategy revealed along with annual results last week. Following the $25 million purchase of the $1.8 billion ASB employer super master trust finalised in February, the NZX-owned Smartshares/SuperLife funds under management (FUM) now top $8 billion – but… [Read More…]

Magellan has gone to its investors with a profit beat, a potential share buyback, and a promise that it will no longer be distracted by projects outside its core funds management business. The under-fire manager came out swinging at its first results briefing since the surprise departure of Hamish Douglass, announcing an increased dividend, a… [Read More…]

Almost one-in-five retail fund dollars in NZ fall under the responsible investment label as the sector continues to outpace growth in the wider market, according to new figures from Australian researcher, Plan for Life (PFL). “Responsible Funds now comprise [A]$16.1bn of Funds Under Management, which is 18.1% of the total NZ Retail market and have… [Read More…]

The KiwiSaver market is likely to consolidate again as providers face up to profitability challenges, according to Morningstar director of manager research Asia-Pacific, Tim Murphy. Murphy said the long-term sustainability of some providers was doubtful in a relatively small market beset by intense regulatory fee pressure and limited growth opportunities. “It’s questionable if many of… [Read More…]

Australasian asset consulting firm, JANA, has lured long-time NZ Superannuation Fund (NZS) senior investment strategist, Chris Worthington across the Tasman to assume the newly created role of head of quantitative analysis and risk. Worthington, a 10-year NZS veteran, has shifted to Melbourne to take up the JANA job as part of a leadership remodeling at… [Read More…]

The government is pushing the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) to schedule an independent review of investments in line with other Crown Financial Institutions (CFI). Unlike fellow CFIs – the NZ Superannuation Fund (NZS), the Government Superannuation Fund (GFS) and the National Provident Fund (NPF) – the ACC fund does not have a legal duty to… [Read More…]

Commodities and active cross-asset ‘trend-based’ strategies should provide the most effective bulwark against entrenched high inflation if history holds true, an award-winning study has found. Based on almost 100 years of market data from the US, UK and Japan, the paper titled ‘The best strategies for inflationary times’ picked up the 2022 Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy Awards as… [Read More…]

Investors are focusing too heavily on the transition to renewables and aren’t seeing the catastrophic implications of a short fall in oil supply, according to Pzena Investment Management. In recent times, a number of institutional investors have made waves by announcing sweeping divestments from fossil fuels like oil and thermal coal. But investors are pricing… [Read More…]

Global financial market infrastructure kingpin, the Depositary Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has pulled back the curtain on the opaque inner-workings of the securities trading business in a back-story blockbuster released this month. Likely destined to remain a cult classic rather a hit summer read, the updated DTCC ‘Guide to Clearance & Settlement’ follows the… [Read More…]

AMP has knocked A$30 million off the upfront price of its global equities and fixed income (GEFI) unit following a A$13 billion slump in assets under management last year. Under a deal first brokered mid-2021, Macquarie agreed to buy the GEFI business – which includes most of the AMP Capital NZ arm – for up… [Read More…]