Calls for government-led reforms to combat greenwashing
Investors and fund managers must play their part in ensuring that ESG funds deliver on their promise – but only government action will ensure this happens, say conference panellists.
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Apac asset owners lead in PE, infra sustainable investments
Apac asset owners are more keen than their global peers on private equity and infrastructure sustainable investments. However, they trail behind in public equity.
Market Views: Is it a good time to buy US tech stocks?
Inflation, fluctuating interest rates, Covid-19 shutdowns, and sporadic reopenings have led to bouts of volatility in the market, with tech stocks bearing the brunt of the selling over the last month.
Weekly roundup of people news, Oct 15
Aware Super appoints deputy CIO and head of governance; AustralianSuper promotes chief risk officer to replace Paul Schroder; Raffles Family Office adds two new roles to independent advisory board; Amundi appoints South Asia CEO; Barclays names China chief executive; Zico hires head of advisory in Singapore; Capital Group names head of HK client group; and more
Sovereign wealth funds seek partnerships for direct lending in private markets
Sovereign wealth funds such as Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Singapore's GIC have been placing more emphasis on private lending, according to two recent reports.
Regulators and investors see transparency as key to uncovering greenwashing
Clarity and a better understanding of data can help ESG assessment as fears of greenwashing continue to rise in China and globally.
Global debt market lacks transparency with 90% of unknown ESG impact: WWF
Sustainability-linked loans can be a powerful tool in ESG transition. But portion is still minor nowadays.
Asian investors take the lead in US real estate flows
Asset owners have been targeting US retail property assets, and some institutional investors have complained about being edged out of office deals by domestic players.
COP26 could take ESG investing to the next level, says family office founder
The run-up to the COP26 meeting in Glasgow provides an opportunity for governments to take stronger leadership on the climate crisis as scepticism over green financing escalates.
Why some asset owners shun Asia Pacific private credit
Hesitancy aside, institutional investors eye Australia and Japan as promising geographies for private debt investments within Asia Pacific, with Greater China and Korea on the periphery.
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AustralianSuper opens NYC office, offshore private debt portfolio to focus on US, Europe
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.
Due diligence the key to wringing ESG returns from private debt
Investors are increasingly turning to private companies and private debt in their hunt for ESG alpha, but the age-old problem of transparency and due diligence remains
Market Views: What to buy in the US corporate bond market?
High-yield sales are still a fraction of investment-grades but fund managers tell AsianInvestor they are seeing more opportunity in BBB-rated bonds and lower, rather than higher grades.
Korea Post Savings shuns China and India to emerge as a fan of Aussie real estate
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.
Heavy 70% equity weighting drives NZ Super's record return
The fund's 29.6% returns marked its best ever and exceeded its reference portfolio, which has 80% allocated to equities, by 1.73%.
Initial margin rules set to pose challenges to asset owners
The regulation, which is now in the final implementation phases, will likely give institutional investors and asset managers a hard time as initial margin calculation is highly technical.
BOC Life to double private debt investments including mezzanine
The group will look for private debt opportunities in Asia but CIO Alvin Ying noted the maturity journey of the market could take a while.
DWS whistleblower says greenwashing is widespread
In new statements on the extent of greenwashing in the fund management industry, Desiree Fixler highlights some uncomfortable truths about sustainable investing.
Developed niche sectors in US property draw Asia Pacific asset owners
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.
Institutional investors explore new income assets amid low yields
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.
