Investment News NZ

NZX puts target on $275bn registry biz, touts fund growth, hires chief

David Chaplin — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:30:53 +0000

The NZX has signalled a tilt at the broader registry market after migrating the SuperLife KiwiSaver scheme onto its Wealth Technologies platform later this year. According to the NZX half-yearly interim report released last week, Wealth Technologies is scheduled to onboard the soon-to-be-rebranded $3 billion-plus SuperLife scheme in the final quarter of 2026. “This will... [Read More...]

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Rātā reveals $25m billion for SPH stake; Waikato, Otago trusts print gains

David Chaplin — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:25:33 +0000

The Rātā Foundation spent more than $25 million to buy its 31 per cent stake in SPH Wealth, the latest accounts for the Canterbury region community trust reveal. Rātā initially coughed up just over $20 million in March last year for a 25 per cent piece of SPH, then known as Alvarium Wealth, the 2026... [Read More...]

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Helm portfolio lead departs; FMA chief lawyers-up; Munro buys distribution partner; Saturn acquires Hive UK pension scheme leftover

David Chaplin — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:20:06 +0000

David Kandziora has left Helm Wealth less than a year after joining the business from Russell Investments NZ as lead portfolio manager. Kandziora departed Russell for Helm, then known as Alvarium Wealth, in September 2025 soon after the group acquired Salt Funds Management. His exit comes just over a month since Alvarium chief investment officer,... [Read More...]

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SPIVA study finds active performance anxiety spreads beyond retail

David Chaplin — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:10:37 +0000

US-domiciled institutional mandates and platform-based portfolios underperform their respective benchmarks almost as often as managed fund equivalents over the long term, according to a just-released S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) report. The S&P Indices Versus Active (SPIVA) ‘Institutional scorecard’ analysis of US equity and fixed income returns found the majority of actively managed strategies... [Read More...]

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Mosaic plots better climate-reporting

David Chaplin — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:00:51 +0000

NZ financial institution climate disclosure improved markedly in the second year of mandatory reporting even as government removed about half of the entities from the regime obligations, a new study by Mosaic Financial Services Infrastructure found. Authored by Mosaic principal consultant, Mathieu Hemery, the ‘Climate-Related Disclosures: Analysis of Licensed Insurers, Banks, and Building Societies’ review... [Read More...]

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ASIC pings platforms for risky sales moves

David Chaplin — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:50:27 +0000

The Australian financial regulator has called out online trading platforms for widespread poor practices in the sales and marketing of “complex or high-risk” products. Following a probe of nine investment platforms in a group including several that trade on both sides of the Tasman, the Australian Financial Services Commission (ASIC) found multiple client-onboarding and risk-disclosure... [Read More...]

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More in the USA: sovereign funds narrow direct country exposure

David Chaplin — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:40:57 +0000

Sovereign wealth funds have significantly increased direct bets on the US since 2018 as “geographic fragmentation” prompts a secular risk realignment, a new study has found. The International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF) analysis found the US absorbed 41 per cent of direct money from government-owned investment vehicles in 2025 compared to 28 per... [Read More...]

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ETF flows, assets break records as new dogs sniff opportunities

David Chaplin — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:30:59 +0000

The global exchange-traded fund (ETF) sector continued its gang-buster year in July amid record monthly inflows and a shower of exotic product launches. Specialist research house, ETFGI, reports some US$383.6 billion of net new money poured into ETF products across the world in July, setting a high score for any month ever while bringing year-to-date... [Read More...]

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Regulator red-flags fund ads for performance-enhancement

David Chaplin — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:25:43 +0000

Local fund managers have been warned by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) to rein-in past-performance claims in advertising amid an alleged surge in return-based marketing. In a new monthly update, the FMA says it had “observed an increase in fund manager advertisements where past investment performance is the primary focus”. According to the regulatory note,... [Read More...]

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FSC marks end, and beginning, of workplace savings legacy

David Chaplin — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:20:12 +0000

Gavin Quigan stood up for the workplace savings sector one more time at the Financial Services Council (FSC) annual conference last week. Accepting a well-deserved lifetime award from the FSC, the now-retired Financial Markets Authority (FMA) restricted managed investment schemes principal adviser told the crowd that “many of you in the room will have experienced... [Read More...]

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Fermat formats cat bond fund in PIE box

David Chaplin — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:15:37 +0000

In a first for the NZ market, US-headquartered insurance-linked securities manager, Fermat Capital, has released a catastrophe bond fund in a portfolio investment entity (PIE) wrapper. Hosted by Adminis, the wholesale Fermat Cat Bond PIE opens up a tax-effective route to the asset class for NZ investors in a sector previously accessible via institutional mandates... [Read More...]

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Horner gives notice to FMA; Mercer confirms new managers for NZ fixed, cash funds

David Chaplin — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:05:57 +0000

John Horner, Financial Markets Authority (FMA) director of markets, investors and reporting, has resigned to rejoin the legal fraternity. In a note last week, Horner told market participants he would “not be involved in any specific entity work to manage conflicts” during a yet-to-be-finalised end-of-notice period. He arrived at the FMA in 2020 as a... [Read More...]

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