Investment News

Demand for specialist transition services is set to rise in NZ as institutional investors focus on containing the upfront and hidden costs of firing fund managers, according to a new Mercer study. Authored by Mercer NZ head of consulting, David Scobie, the report says institutions need to carefully consider the bottom-line expenses and risks of… [Read More…]

Australia-based US share-trading platform, Stake, is hiring up in NZ as it seeks to build on rapid client growth this side of the Tasman. In Auckland last week before the NSW travel bubble burst, Stake founder, Matt Leibowitz, said the platform had signed up over 40,000 Kiwi investors, or almost 12 per cent of the… [Read More…]

The almost $3 billion Auckland boutique, Generate, has added to its senior compliance staff, sourcing specialists from Jarden and Milford Asset Management. Generate hired Debbie Bourne and Shane Hinton as respective heads of compliance and risk, joining a team now headed by former Financial Markets Authority (FMA) general counsel, Nick Kynoch. Bourne was previously Jarden… [Read More…]

NZ Super, the Future Fund and Norway’s NBIM are among the top-performing government funds, as well as having the highest level of governance and sustainability, according to a study by SWF Global. The study, of 52 of the world’s largest funds, attempts to illustrate the connection between good governance with sustainability processes and investment returns…. [Read More…]

Rising compliance costs, growth bottlenecks and business succession plans sealed the deal to sell a controlling interest in Newton Ross to the acquisitive Alvarium group, according to a co-founder of the long-established Auckland independent advice firm. Mike Newton, who launched the firm with business partner Wayne Ross in 2003, said the Alvarium offer provided a… [Read More…]

David Swensen, the Yale endowment fund’s famous chief executive and always a candidate for the “best investor in the world” title in any contest, died last Wednesday night US time (May 6 in NZ and Australia) at 67. In his 36 years at the fund’s helm, Swensen achieved many first’s for the institutional investment industry…. [Read More…]

Auckland fintech provider Invsta has planned a series of guides to help the financial services industry achieve ‘digital transformation’ following the successful launch of part one targeting the funds management sector. In a release, Rachel Strevens, Invsta chief, said the firm developed the first digital “roadmap” to meet an increasing demand from fund managers looking… [Read More…]

Willis Towers Watson has formed a working group to assess the potential for what it calls a ‘new breed’ of investment management firm that invests across the equity spectrum, from private to public markets. The working group, bringing together researchers from both sectors within WTW, was established in March. The global asset consulting firm believes… [Read More…]

Russell Investments NZ chief, Alister van der Maas, has resigned after 15 years with the business including 10 years at the top. Following his departure last Friday, it is understood Russell will split the NZ managing director duties between head of institutional, Matthew Arnold, and Australian chief, Jodie Hampshire, pending a permanent replacement. Van der… [Read More…]

BlackRock has been tipped as lead contender to buy the in-limbo AMP Capital public markets arm now known as GEFI, for global equities and fixed income. Last week the Australian Financial Review (AFR) named BlackRock, the world’s biggest fund manager, as front-runner for the GEFI assets, which AMP has been shopping around since last year… [Read More…]