Investment News

Only nine months ago Treasury put low odds on the need for unconventional monetary policy (UMP) in NZ. “We do not think there is a case for deploying UMP on current forecasts,” the November 2019 Treasury paper says. “Both Treasury and the Reserve Bank [RBNZ] are forecasting the [official cash rate] OCR to stay positive… [Read More…]

The financial institution conduct legislation in-waiting could wield influence well beyond its regulatory borders, according to DLA Piper partner, Tracey Cross. In fact, Cross said several DLA Piper fund manager clients have already carried out ‘culture and conduct’ reviews despite remaining exempt from the prospective law. Under the Financial Markets (Conduct of Institutions) Amendment Bill… [Read More…]

Rob Harrison, a well-known marketer of new funds management strategies in both Australasia and the US and Europe, who has been living in New York for several years, is bringing a hard-core ESG manager to Australia and New Zealand. He is being joined by Steve Larkin, a former colleague at BNP Paribas Investments in Sydney…. [Read More…]

Despite the plethora of asset classes in this world, investing boils down to one simple concept, according to Robert Almeida Jr, MFS global investment strategist – and it’s getting simpler. In a short paper released last week, Almeida says “ultimately there is only one asset class: volatility”. And while investors historically benefited from taking positions… [Read More…]

Another investment platform is due to arrive in NZ within weeks under the Flint Wealth brand. As flagged last December, the latest platform business – an equal partnership between Australian firm Research IP, Harbour Asset Management and Trustees Executors (TE) – is primed to enter the increasingly crowded online investing space in NZ. According to… [Read More…]

AMP Capital will swing towards lucrative private markets as its parent ASX-listed financial services firm seeks to regroup after a disastrous couple of years. In a move that will see a reorientation of its listed markets fund business, Francesco De Ferrari, AMP chief, outlined the new private asset strategy for AMP Capital along with the… [Read More…]

The NZX-owned funds management arm, Smartshares, saw year-on-year operating earnings fall 10 per cent in the first six months of 2020 as rising expenses outweighed top-line revenue growth of 8 per cent. Hugh Stevens, Smartshares chief, said the-now $4 billion plus funds business has been “investing for growth” in several areas including adding 12 new… [Read More…]

The Wellington-based wholesale boutique founded by former Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) chief investment officer, Nicholas Bagnall, has selected MMC as a key back-office provider. Following an almost nine-month transition period, Bagnall’s Te Ahumairangi Investment Management (TAIM) has now formally taken over the now $1.8 billion ACC global equities portfolio with MMC providing funds administration services…. [Read More…]

Investors have poured into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the June quarter, pushing the global investment product sector to almost reclaim record high assets under management (AUM). During the second quarter of 2020 total ETF AUM jumped by nearly US$1 trillion as solid flows coincided with the fastest market rebound on record, Australian provider BetaShares reported… [Read More…]

Perhaps a major risk for media outlets is to spend too much time examining the risks associated with COVID-19 and not enough time on everything else going on in the world. Research Affiliates has done an analysis of the risks which may thwart a global recovery from the pandemic. Campbell Harvey, a partner and senior… [Read More…]