Children’s charity Variety is urging NZ investors to dust off their portfolios for any loose equities to send free to a good home. Variety, which provides a broad range of support to disadvantaged children in NZ, will benefit this financial year as recipient of the ‘Shares for Good’ trust. Established in 2006, Shares for Good… [Read More…]
Investment News
NZ Investment and Operations 3: Return of the Survey
The BNP Paribas Investment and Operations NZ Survey Part 3 is now showing on industry screens. As per the previous two instalments, Investment News NZ (IN NZ) is seeking feedback on the big-picture financial services industry issues via a short, easy-viewing questionnaire… The 2017 Investment and Operations NZ Survey – a joint IN NZ… [Read More…]
Kiwi Wealth rolls out retail for robo, new wholesale PIEs
Kiwi Wealth has created a new suite of retail funds that it is understood will back into the group’s recently-approved robo-advice service. The Kiwi Wealth Managed Funds range of three risk-weighted products will in turn invest via a couple of new wholesale funds offered by sister entity Kiwi Investment Management (KIM). Unlike the Kiwi Wealth… [Read More…]
‘AJ’ to end nine-year relationship with Russell
Russell Investments NZ head of asset consulting, Andrew Johnson (known as AJ), will leave the business by the end of June. It is understood Johnson’s exit was part of a global efficiency drive sparked by Russell’s relatively new private equity owners with staff cuts also in play across the Tasman. A Russell spokesperson said: “We… [Read More…]
Government-run KiwiSaver scheme gains marginal support from low submitter turn-out
The hobby-horse KiwiSaver bill of soon-to-be acting Prime Minister, Winston Peters, garnered nominal majority support among the 23 recently-published submissions on the proposed legislation. Most of the 13 submissions backing the KiwiFund bill – which aims to establish a discussion group to mull over the creation of a government-run and guaranteed KiwiSaver scheme – were… [Read More…]
Sale for TE; new fixed asset for Harbour; fellowship at INFINZ
After a recent corporate and board clean-out Trustees Executors (TE) filled one empty director’s chair last week with the appointment of Matthew Sale. Sale has an almost two-decade history in the Australasian finance sector including his latest four-year stint as head of retail and marketing for TE rival firm, Public Trust, which ended this January…. [Read More…]
ASIC chair goes to town on conflicts
The recently-appointed chair of Australia’s financial regulator has threatened a ban on all “conflicted remuneration” if the industry doesn’t pull its socks up. James Shipton, chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) since last October, told a superannuation conference last week that the corporate cop would push for a zero tolerance policy on… [Read More…]
Investment elements align in 2017; Mercer adds impact oomph to SRI fund
In a rare alignment of stars, investment markets conformed almost exactly in line with theory last year, according to Russell Garrett, Mercer NZ head of institutional wealth. Garrett said asset class returns in 2017 – as measured across the group’s recently published annual ‘Periodic Table’ – followed “orthodox” risk/return expectations. “Emerging markets equities was the… [Read More…]
Hedge funds 2.0: systematic strategies deliver for new world
With a big question mark over both equities and bonds because of their valuations, institutional investors have been seeking, for some time, to further diversify their portfolios with uncorrelated assets. Increasingly, they are combining several trends to use risk premia strategies to meet this aim. At an investor roundtable in Melbourne last week, Mike Aked,… [Read More…]
Bentham shorts duration as long bond era ends
Global fixed income markets are poised at a critical inflexion point as monetary policy normalisation, US fiscal stimulus and incipient inflation threaten the post-crisis status quo, according to Nik Persic, co portfolio manager with credit specialist firm Bentham Asset Management. Persic, in NZ last week on client visits, said rising interest rates in the US… [Read More…]