World

Australia's superannuation funds earmark $20b for infrastructure projects; China Investment Corporation invests in US loans and healthcare and IT stocks; Saudi's Public Investment Fund hunts Covid-19 bargains; Sony buys out financial unit; Korea's NPS to shift five percentage points of its portfolio from debt to equity; Fubon Life invests $200 million across three private equity funds and more.

Ashley Alder reappointed as head of Hong Kong's SFC; Savills IM hires new senior executive for pan-Asia investments; T. Rowe Price appoints new head of Australia, New Zealand distribution; HSBC Private Banking names new head of products, investments; NN Investment Partners hires EM debt head; SC Lowy adds Europe head and more.

Regional asset owners have started jumping into newly issued and highly rated US corporate bonds as they look to take advantage of wider spreads, say fund experts.

Washington's growing opposition to US investment into Chinese assets is affecting asset owners and has wider implications too, note market experts.

Lead equity PM and analyst exit AllianzGI; Western Asset hires Korea institutional head; PNB offers WFH as permanent option; BNY Mellon replaces Korea country head; Deutsche Bank hires first Apac ESG head; JP Morgan AM expands ETF team.

The local authority retirement pool will select managers for A-shares and emerging market debt and equity. Head of external management Graham Long outlined the rationale.

Asia may be weathering the coronavirus pandemic better than its Western counterparts, but it is nonetheless expected to throw up financing and restructuring opportunities.

Future Fund promotes CIO to CEO; Amundi relocates Vanessa Wang, names new Asia institutional chief; CDIB sets up structured credit team; Aberdeen Standard hires new Australia insto head; Fife Capital adds Asia property investment head; SingAlliance sets up HK unit and more.

Meanwhile, interest in global and emerging market equity strategies fell in the first quarter, according to new research from investment consultancy Bfinance.

The departure comes as the German fund house cuts a layer of management in the multi-asset division globally.

Australian super members withdraw $834 million; HK Exchange Fund loses $11.1 billion in the first quarter; UK pension pool seeks China equity managers; HSBC buys out China insurance JV; Indian state pensions see AUM rise in April; SWFs to coordinate efforts to combat economic slowdown, and more.

Indonesia consolidates four insurers in scandal-ridden sector; Japan's GPIF asks EM infrastructure funds of funds to offer information and sets up index posting system; Ping An warns of Covid-19 impact on investments; Korea's parliament mulls raising insurers' foreign investment limit; CPPIB, APG and China's ESR agree to set up $1 billion JV for Korean logistics investing, and more.

Fidelity shuffles research and multi-asset heads; JP Morgan AM and AIA respectively appoint new Singapore chiefs; Robeco loses HK wholesale head; Vanguard's former Asia chief joins CLSA; Gao Capital hires portfolio manager; StanChart PB names deputy HK head; interest in remote working surges; S&P Global ESG unit adds sales duo, and more.

Norges Bank Investment Management explains why and how it uses local asset managers to invest in emerging markets, from which it derives most of its excess returns.

The unprecedented drop of US crude prices to negative levels on April 20 has raised questions on how best to respond. Five experts offer their views.

Australia's Hostplus cuts property investments amid asset drawdown; South Korea's re-elected government to shift KIC to Jeonju; China's central bank takes stake in Indian lender HDFC; Temasek refutes speculation over CEO salary; Taiwan's regulator de-emphasises ETFs in five-year plan; sovereign wealth funds lose money on bank stakes; Gulf SWFs on buying spree, and more.

Japan Post Insurance's alts chief leaves for HarbourVest; Allianz Real Estate seeks Greater China acquisitions exec; Andrew Swan resurfaces at Man GLG; Manulife IM names Asia ESG head; Axa launches Architas Asia; BNP Paribas AM hires new Indonesia chief, and more.

Companies with better ESG ratings have tended to see their assets perform better than lower-rated peers, according to Fidelity International and S&P Global Market Intelligence.