Investment News

More than 180 years after the first railway boom, investors betting on artificial intelligence (AI) are likely on track for a repeat bust performance, according to Robert Almeida, MFS global investment strategist. In a recent note, Almeida says the current AI enthusiasm bears all the hallmarks of classic behaviour at the crash-end of the capital… [Read More…]

Family offices in Asia Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, have higher exposures to emerging markets, in both equities and bonds, and to private markets than their European and North American counterparts. And they are favouring real estate and private debt for increases in future allocations, according to the 10th annual survey of big single… [Read More…]

The Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA) has turned in a small loss for the 12 months to June 30 despite an almost 20 per cent spike in revenue. According to the recently released RIAA annual report, the advocacy and product-labelling body saw income soar by about A$475,000 year-on-year to reach over A$3.2 million with… [Read More…]

Big pension and sovereign wealth funds around the world are still sweating the possibility of a global recession, according to the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF), while inflation fears haven’t been dispelled even as it eases in many developed economies. Meanwhile, geopolitics, technological change and climate change are the top three influences for… [Read More…]

Jarden and the National Australia Bank (NAB) have signed a well-signalled merger that will see its wealth management assets bundled up with similar BNZ and JBWere NZ businesses. Under the deal confirmed this morning, pending Jarden shareholder approval, the National Australia Bank-owned JBWere group will own about half of the new entity created to hold… [Read More…]

Apex NZ has hired Smartshares chief customer officer, Donna Mason, to head its Auckland-based investment administration arm. Mason replaces Renée Tourell, who left the business formerly known as MMC in October for health reasons. Prior to joining Smartshares in 2020 as head of client development, she spent 12 years at AMP NZ wealth management in… [Read More…]

NZ fund managers and asset owners will likely increase exposure to offshore assets over the next couple of years from an already high base, according to the latest BNZ FX Hedging Report. Released last week, the 11th biennial BNZ survey of the local investment industry found almost 40 per cent of respondent planned to allocate… [Read More…]

AMP KiwiSaver and retail fund investors will underpin a new wholesale climate-focused private assets strategy launched by the manager this month. The Global Climate Fund will form part of the group’s diversified product suite with allocations yet to be specified, however, Aaron Klee, AMP NZ head, said in a release the strategy could reach “half… [Read More…]

The Australian Labor government will create a new regulation-lite category of ‘qualified advisers’ as part of controversial reforms unwrapped last week. In what some critics view as a step backwards to the vertically integrated institution-dominated financial advice industry of pre Royal Commission days, banks, insurers, superannuation funds and others will be able to employ advisers… [Read More…]

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) booked an almost $6 million surplus for the 12 months to June 30 despite staff costs soaring more than $7 million over the period. According to the FMA annual report released last week, the regulator came in well under budget as both revenue and expenses fell short of forecast for… [Read More…]