Investment News

Takapuna-based boutique manager, Pathfinder Asset Management, has signaled a new focus on sustainable investing with the launch of a retail version of its Responsible Investment Fund (RIF) – to be rolled out via a novel start-up direct investment platform. The Global Responsibility Fund (GRF), which invests into the underlying wholesale Pathfinder RIF, is slated to… [Read More…]

The NZX could see a flurry of listed investment companies (LIC) heading to the exchange under proposed new rules, according to Hamish McDonald, general counsel and head of policy. McDonald said the NZX was “keen to engage” with the market on bringing more LICs to the local bourse, which is well underweight the sector compared… [Read More…]

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) scooped up more licensing fees than expected over the 12 months to June 30, according to the regulator’s just-released annual report. “Other revenue was above budget due to higher than anticipated revenues from licensing and application fees across a range of categories,” the FMA report says. Over the year almost… [Read More…]

A marquee NZ financial advice brand will disappear from view this week as AMP officially switches off the Spicers sign. After merging the back-office systems of Spicers and relative new-entrant advisory network, AdviceFirst, last year, the two groups have now formally converged under the latter label. Mark Ennis, AdviceFirst CEO, said market research indicated clients… [Read More…]

Global alternatives multi-manager NZAM is tweaking its strategic asset allocation (SAA), according to executive director, Alan McChesney. McChesney said the SAA was a “work in progress but we are making a number of strategic changes in the months ahead”. He said NZAM head of manager research and investment committee member, James Caughey, was about to… [Read More…]

Booster has upped its KiwiSaver investment options to 16 with the addition of a new ‘Asset Class’ balanced fund. The balanced fund joins its Asset Class growth and conservative siblings, which are ultimately managed by US factor-based investment house Dimensional Fund Advisors. As well as introducing the new fund, the Wellington-based Booster (formerly Grosvenor) has… [Read More…]

Retail investors in the popular September 2007 Rabobank bond issue will emerge shaken – but perhaps better-educated – when they finally disembark from the fixed income roller-coaster ride of the decade later this week, according to a new Harbour Asset Management report. The Harbour study says investors in the Rabo bond, which pulled in a… [Read More…]

Advisers could cut portfolio rebalancing costs by as much as 90 per cent with a new algorithmically-determined tool, according to Damon O’Brien, Consilium chief investment officer. O’Brien said the automatic portfolio rebalancing tool – released last week on the Consilium platform – removes much of the inefficiencies involved in the process. He said advisers have… [Read More…]

A unique series of research by Credit Suisse Research has shown that the performance of family-controlled listed companies around the world is so superior to other companies that they should be considered a separate asset class. Don’t laugh. Even if it’s not called an asset class, the investment case is compelling. Credit Suisse Research, which… [Read More…]

Trustees Executors (TE) fund administration business hangs in the balance this week with its biggest client currently weighing up replacement providers. Bruce McLachlan, Fisher Funds chief, confirmed the $7 billion plus manager was reviewing its fund accounting and custody service putting long-time incumbent, TE, under pressure. “We expect to make a decision on this over… [Read More…]