Pension Funds

India's state insurer LIC traded down on debut after blockbuster IPO; Temasek-backed e-commerce platform Zilingo fires chief executive Ankiti Bose amid investigations into financial irregularities; Australia's Unisuper and Australian Catholics Superannuation enter agreement to explore merger; and more

Allianz Real Estate hires Scott Kim from Korea's National Pension Service; NZSuper hires investment strategist from Australian Retirement Trust; Former NPS executive Kim Seongmog joins Affirma as private credit head; Eastspring loses head of intermediary sales; Value Partners hires senior director from Allianz Global Investors; and more.

The Dutch pension fund says it will push for improvements in ESG practices of its portfolio companies in South Korea and Japan with active engagement, including lobbying the government and the media and using its voting rights.

The Australian superannuation fund expects opportunities for currency trading as a result of the Chinese government rolling out measures to grow the economy.

Horizons Ventures to open family office in Singapore; AustralianSuper expands private equity investments over the next two years; CDPQ real estate arm Ivanhoe Cambridge to invest $1 billion in green digital infrastructure project in India with Bain Capital and Lodha Group; and more.

Experts say the drive for consolidation of smaller super funds into a few mega funds misses a key consideration of the role of superannuation: investor engagement.

For asset owners and managers, sustainable long-term investing has evolved from divestment to active ownership strategies that foster better business practices.

India’s Life Insurance Corp initial offering was oversubscribed 2.95 times, with participation from Norges Bank Investment Management, GIC, ADIA, and domestic funds; the Saudi Public Investment Fund will allow investments in Israeli companies for the first time with a $2 billion commitment in private-equity firm Affinity Partners; Hong Kong's Exchange Fund posts $7 billion quarterly loss; and more

From allocating capital to ESG portfolios to supporting businesses in transition, institutional investors have the power to move the needle in the global quest for a decarbonised economy.

Digital infrastructure and renewables are at the heart of the Canadian pension fund’s Asia strategy — not to mention key sectors for anticipated Asian demand.

In the war of words in the lead up to an Australian federal election, super funds are often political collateral damage. Keeping out of the fray is smart, they say, but making a stand is just as important.

Sovereign and pension funds as well as private equity firms are looking at opportunities in data centres, telecom towers, and fibre networks in the region.