All bonds articles – Page 2
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NewsDB schemes with assets above £1bn increase by 90% in 8 years
On the go: The number of defined benefit pension schemes with assets of more than £1bn has increased by 90 per cent since 2013, according to research by Barnett Waddingham.
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OpinionAre alternatives a good substitute to bonds for pension schemes?
Historically, government bonds have played a number of important roles in UK pension schemes’ allocations. They have provided liquidity, strong diversification benefits to equities, and offered good and reliable income.
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NewsCushon launches new private markets investment strategy
On the go: Master trust Cushon has launched a new investment strategy that will see a 15 per cent allocation to private markets, in an attempt to “reduce investment risk”.
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News‘Greenium’ widens following £6bn green gilt issuance
On the go: The second issuance of the UK’s green gilt has raised a further £6bn, the Treasury has said, but analysis of the transaction suggests that the ‘greenium’ has widened in secondary markets.
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NewsTPR to demand more asset information from schemes in 2023
The Pensions Regulator has confirmed it will press on with reforming the asset class information it collects via the scheme return, in a consultation response published on Thursday.
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PodcastsPodcast: Understanding green and sustainable bonds
Podcast: The green bond market is forecast to hit $500bn (£366bn) by the end of this year, according to the Climate Bonds Initiative, while the UK government has just raised £10bn from its debut green bond issue. However, high demand and limited supply raises questions over pricing and yield, while the availability of suitable projects has ignited concerns over greenwashing. In this podcast, Arthur Leijgraaff, senior treasury officer at the Dutch development bank FMO, and Rik Klerkx, senior portfolio manager at Cardano, explain what goes into a green bond issuance, and what trustees need to ask of their asset managers and issuers.
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NewsNational Grid scheme appoints outsourced investment manager
On the go: The circa £12bn National Grid UK Pension Scheme has appointed Russell Investments as its outsourced investment manager.
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FeaturesComplexities hamper social impact bonds’ true potential
Despite the launch of the UK’s sovereign green bond dominating the socially conscious fixed income discourse, there is still room for social impact bonds in schemes’ portfolios.
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NewsSchemes have over £1tn in assets exposed to ‘significant’ climate risk
On the go: More than £1tn in assets held by UK institutional investors is exposed to significant climate risks, according to research from LCP.
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NewsFTSE 350 DB schemes’ deficit rises £2bn in August
On the go: Defined benefit schemes sponsored by FTSE 350 companies saw their deficits rise to £87bn in August, an increase of £2bn from £85bn in July.
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NewsHousing associations to suffer following SHPS valuation
On the go: Housing associations are facing average contribution rate increases of 17 per cent following the Social Housing Pension Scheme’s 2020 valuation, a full 50 per cent higher than expected under the current deficit repayment plan, LCP has said.
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OpinionLiability-driven investing in a low-yield environment
A common refrain from pension scheme sponsors recently is that they “cannot do liability-driven investing in such a low-yield environment”, or that “it makes no sense for our plan to buy bonds in such a low-yield environment”. However, both statements reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of LDI.
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NewsNFU Mutual pension fund hires Trafalgar House as administrator
On the go: The NFU Mutual Retirement Benefit Scheme, with £1.1bn in defined benefit assets and £206.2m in defined contribution assets, has appointed Trafalgar House to provide administration services, effective from July 1 2021.
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NewsSignet Group scheme completes full buy-in with Rothesay
On the go: The Signet Group Pension Scheme has completed a £236m full buy-in with Rothesay. Mercer was the lead broker on the transaction.
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NewsPPF 7800 Index falls but surplus remains
On the go: The aggregate surplus of the 5,318 defined benefit pension schemes potentially eligible to join the Pension Protection Fund is estimated to have decreased to £62.4bn at the end of July, from a surplus of £99bn at the end of June, the latest figures from the lifeboat fund show.
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NewsBrunel Pension Partnership launches listed markets fund
On the go: The £28bn Brunel Pension Partnership has launched its £2.1bn Sterling Corporate Bond Fund, selecting Royal London Asset Management to handle the assets.
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NewsCorporate bond managers urged to explain climate transition risks
As defined benefit schemes are increasingly expected to replace their equity portfolios with corporate bond holdings in their journey to reach funding targets, pension funds and their asset managers are being urged to carefully assess companies’ attitudes to climate transition risks.
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NewsPension funds need better data to measure up on carbon
The quality and quantity of information on companies’ carbon footprints needs to improve rapidly to help institutional investors make more informed investment decisions, experts claim.
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NewsGreen bonds and greenwashing: Investors yet to be convinced
After new details about UK’s first sovereign green bonds were received positively by the pensions industry, the excitement seems to be dissipating, since the summer 2021 launch date will be missed and scepticism remains about the motives and effectiveness of the scheme.
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NewsPPF 7800 Index shows surplus and funding improvements
On the go: The PPF 7800 Index for June shows improvements in the surplus and funding positions (on a section 179 basis) for the more than 5,000 schemes potentially eligible for entry to the Pension Protection Fund.