Investment News

Ana-Marie Lockyer is stepping up to chair the Pie Funds board following the resignation of incumbent, Steven Nichols. Nichols completes an eight-year stint with the boutique board, which is on the cusp of $2 billion funds under management, according to chief, Mike Taylor. Taylor said Pie probably wouldn’t replenish the board in the short term…. [Read More…]

The entity formerly known as the NZ Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) has been pulled up for past shoddy disclosure practices, poor oversight of spending and “workplace culture” issues in the latest annual parliamentary review of the government-owned organisation. Rebranded as NZ Growth Capital Partners (NZGCP), the state-controlled venture investment outfit now runs two vehicles: the… [Read More…]

It may be intuitive but there is now evidence that investors with more testosterone and those who drive flashy sports cars tend to produce lower returns over time. They take too much risk. We have Yan Lu, an American academic, to largely thank for those observational gems. From a position at the University of Central… [Read More…]

NZ inflation risks err on the upside despite a complex, and contradictory, set of background circumstances, Harbour Asset Management leaders told a roadshow crowd last week. Hamish Pepper, Harbour fixed income and currency strategist, said overall the prospect of inflation exceeding expectations was “higher rather than lower”. “There is complacency in the market,” Pepper said…. [Read More…]

Governments will have to rely on ‘financial repression’ to deleverage economies as the world heads into the third major debt cycle of the post-industrial era, according to Samy Muaddi, T Rowe Price fixed income portfolio manager. In a webinar for NZ and Australian investors last week, Muaddi said in-hock governments have only two choices (barring… [Read More…]

The NZ Superannuation Fund (NZS) has split implementation and factor index construction under its mandate announced last year with Dutch investment powerhouse, Robeco. As reported last February, the NZS hired Robeco to run a multi-factor global equity portfolio following a revamp of its strategy. But in an unusual arrangement, the NZS appointed the Rotterdam-headquartered to… [Read More…]

Climate change is an investment problem that needs active management rather than index-based solutions, according to Aviva Investors Australasia head, Brett Jackson. Jackson said passive investment styles fail to address the complex real climate change challenges that require engagement with companies, regulators and governments. “People are starting to realise that we can only help companies… [Read More…]

A new streamlined approach to supporting ‘fintech’ and other potentially innovative start-ups through regulatory hurdles is already paying dividends. Binu Paul, Financial Markets Authority (FMA) fintech specialist lead, said since launching the cross-agency strategy earlier this month two parties have engaged with a multi-regulator panel with five others queued up. Under the process, fintech regulatory… [Read More…]

AMP has issued a brief denial of reports that Francesco De Ferrari, the fix-it man brought in to repair the brand-damaged firm two years ago, resigned from the much-depleted ASX-listed financial services firm,. “AMP notes the media reports today [March 25],” the release says, “and confirms that Francesco De Ferrari remains as Chief Executive Officer… [Read More…]

Alvarium Wealth will manage over $500 million following a corporate makeover last week that brings all Pathfinder funds and assets of the former NZAM group under a single umbrella. The deal will see Pathfinder folded into Alvarium Wealth, a joint venture between UK private investment firm Alvarium (previously known as LJ Partnership) and NZ investors… [Read More…]