Australia

Intrust Super chief executive to step down after merger; Aware acquires site for essential worker affordable housing; China bans cryptocurrency-related business activities; Hong Kong insure FWD filed for US listing of ADRs; Nippon Life acquires wealth life insurance from MassMutual; NPS to hire five investment managers to diversify portfolio; Malaysia to review Spacs framework; EPF reports $8 billion investment income; and more

China and India are more obvious choices for AustralianSuper to consider in Asia Pacific, but the super fund currently lacks the expertise and prefers to stick to the US and Europe.

CDPQ's Ivanhoe Cambridge hires ex-GIC real estate expert; NZ Super adds board member; Future Fund appoints chief people officer; BlackRock real estate CIO joins Singapore's Capitaland; AMP Capital hires MD for energy; Northern Trust AM names new CIO; T Rowe Price hires AU and NZ institutional head; Nuveen hires Southeast Asia institutional head; Citi names sustainability head in Singapore; and more

The AU$85 billion ($61.6 billion) Australian super fund has some exposure to indebted property developer Evergrande. Meanwhile, China’s construction finance is part of its core strategy in real estate.

EISS Super hit by another scandal; China's CSRC launches consultation on disclosure requirements for new BSE securities; Hong Kong issues consultation paper on Spacs; New World Development partners with China Taiping to focus on Greater Bay Area projects; GPIF employees say Japanese Reits have grown more attractive; Taiwan's BLF invites bid for $1.7 billion mandate; and more

Kwap property arm appoints CEO; VFMC names new CEO as Lisa Gray retires; MSIG Singapore promotes Mack Eng as CEO; Monroe Capital opens first Asia office in Seoul, hires head from Aberdeen; Vanguard Australia appoints new MD to relocate from US; HSBC AM expands EM debt team; Vantage FX hires from CGS-CIMB in Singapore; and more.

The $95 billion Korean savings will set up a separately managed account for real estate debt investment early next year in order to shorten decision-making and help it win deals in a crowded market.

Investors are not deterred by the thinning spread between logistics and office yields, as prices continue to climb in Australia.

MAS names sustainability head; Malaysia’s EPF appoints COO and CFO; GIC PE head for SEA leaves; State Super hires new exec; Hesta appoints chief growth officer, chief Debby Blakey appointed to corporate governance board; ex-BlackRock exec joins IQ-EQ in Singapore; HSBC AM builds direct real estate team; ex-Vanguard head of distribution joins LGIM; Sanne names Singapore head; and more

The ease of direct investments into property firms and the availability of niche sectors in the US have drawn asset owners such as Australia’s Aware Super and Korea’s Poba.

Stuck between low yields and the need to include fixed income in their portfolios, institutional investors like Cbus are getting creative with their approach to income investing.

Australian real estate is hot property for the country’s superannuation funds, which made up almost half of the sector’s capital inflows during the first half of this year.

Australia's Future Fund develops new investment strategy; Aware Super looking for buyers for agribusiness portfolio; China to launch third stock exchange for small and medium businesses, and crackdown on mismanaged private funds; Kotec to hire asset manager for $130 million domestic bond mandate; Malaysia's EPF makes two senior appointments; SGX allows Spac listings; and more

Yin Haining and Markus Egloff join KKR as managing directors for its client partner group; QIC CIO to retire, promotes Allison Hill; Fidelity China President resigns; AIA Singapore appoints chief distribution officer; PE fund appoints VP of ESG and risk; Haitong International hires global head of asset management from Goldman Sachs; and more

Australian Catholic Superannuation and NGS Super abandon merger plans; ASX 200 has no all-male boards for the first time; CIC posts 6.82% 10-year net returns; Cambridge Associates applies for licences to conduct business in Hong Kong; Korea's NPS records 7.49% returns for H1 this year; Korea Post seeks managers for ESG stocks mandate; GIC invests in Hong Kong ESG data start-up MioTech; and more

For Australia’s second-largest super fund, it’s a case of get green or get out, but engagement and collaboration is still the preferred solution.

AustralianSuper promotes deputy equity head; StateSuper appoints senior manager for liquid alternatives; Afma appoints chief executive from Promontory Australia; Hang Seng Bank names new chief executive; HSBC appoints Southeast Asia head of sustainable finance; Ruffer to close HK office, head to retire; Bank of New Zealand CEO rejoins NAB as digital chief; and more.

The sovereign wealth fund has been reducing flexibility and increasing risk to the portfolio as the fund keeps a watchful eye on changes to the macro environment.

State-backed Chinese investors will bail out Huarong Asset Management, which unveiled $15.9 billion losses; Hong Kong insurer FWD planning $3 billion IPO in the US; MPF posts 28% investment return and 35% jump in assets; Korea's Poba seeks two managers for multi-asset mandate; NPS divests entire 11.5 million shares in General Electric; Malaysia's PNB and Khazanah pledges to increase sustainable investments; and more

Australian logistics prove a good defensive strategy for investors during the pandemic, with promising yields and a stable and transparent market.