All derivatives articles – Page 2

  • Opinion

    How will Emir shape the way schemes use LDI?

    2016-03-16T00:00:00Z

    Roundtable: Pension schemes have been granted a transitional exemption from having to centrally clear derivatives – a rule contained in the European Market Infrastructure Regulation – but the exemption will end in August 2017. How will schemes be affected and how are they preparing? In the third part of this roundtable series, Bestrustees’ Huw Evans, HR Trustees’ Giles Payne, Aviva Investors’ Rakesh Girdharlal, KPMG’s Simeon Willis, Cambridge Associates’ Benoît Jacquemont and P-Solve Asset Solutions’ Barbara Saunders discuss what the new requirement will mean for schemes.

  • Opinion

    What fixed income ETFs can bring to your portfolio

    2015-10-11T00:00:00Z

    Investors in fixed income markets are having to deal with persistently low or even negative yields, the potential for increased volatility – such as recent worries about China – and a lack of clarity over when the US Federal Reserve will start raising rates.

  • Mark Davies
    Opinion

    Kissing goodbye to complexity

    2015-09-14T00:00:00Z

    From the blog: How many readers of this would travel to New York by boat?

  • Rupert Brindley
    Opinion

    Four problems with today’s LDI strategies

    2015-09-11T00:00:00Z

    We must fight to keep hold of the fundamental meaning of liability-driven investment in order to identify cost-effective ways of investing with a true liability focus.

  • Phil Boyle
    Opinion

    Rising rates: Hope for the best, plan for the worst – don’t press pause

    2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

    If you are a trustee of a UK final salary pension scheme then you will know that the past eight years have been a long, hard winter of dealing with the inexorable and sustained fall in interest rates and the rising deficits this has caused.  

  • Thibault Jeakings and Maria Rodia
    Opinion

    Europe: What UK schemes need to know about legal changes

    2015-08-31T00:00:00Z

    Several key developments in European law will have an impact on the UK pensions industry.  

  • News

    EU banking directive brings risks to schemes' derivative contracts

    2015-07-09T00:00:00Z

    Schemes with liability-driven investment strategies should review counterparty creditworthiness, say lawyers, as a new EU directive has granted national authorities the power to suspend schemes’ contractual rights with struggling banks. 

  • News

    Royal Mail posts £700m to options to deliver risk reduction

    2015-06-15T00:00:00Z

    Royal Mail Pension Plan has invested £700m in an options mandate, as schemes increasingly explore derivative-based strategies to reduce risk while seeking growth.

  • News

    Schemes win extended reprieve from European OTC clearing rules

    2015-02-05T00:00:00Z

    The European Commission has recommended schemes be given a two-year reprieve from over-the-counter derivative clearing requirements. But industry experts still expect pension funds to end up paying higher transaction costs.

  • Opinion

    How should you benchmark your manager?

    2014-11-26T00:00:00Z

    In the final part of this three-part debate on fixed income, Aon Hewitt's Tim Giles, Hymans Robertson's Carl Hitchman, Law Debenture's David Felder, M&G Investments' William Nicoll and the Pension Protection Fund's John St Hill run through the different options for measuring the performance of a fixed income manager.

  • Features

    Royal Mail rachets up hedging derivatives to reduce risk

    2014-08-26T00:00:00Z

    The Royal Mail Pension Plan has extended liability hedging in its portfolio by substantially boosting its use of swaps and gilt repurchase agreements, as it seeks to reduce risk in the scheme.

  • News

    Schemes face LDI rethink to meet Emir collateral demands

    2014-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Industry experts have warned that schemes using liability-driven investment strategies may face higher costs and additional risks when the European Market Infrastructure Regulation’s collateral diversity requirements come into force. 

  • News

    Synthetic equities see interest as schemes look for creative ways to derisk

    2014-04-17T00:00:00Z

    Defined benefit schemes are showing interest in synthetic equity strategies in order to move cash from growth portfolios to liability-matching strategies in an effort to shore up funding levels.

  • Derivs graphic
    News

    Derivatives regulation leaves schemes liable for manager reporting

    2014-02-21T00:00:00Z

    News analysis: Trustees could be found liable for their investment managers not reporting derivative trades under extended derivatives regulation, with legal experts recommending reviewing contracts to hard-code duties.

  • News

    BA uses triggers to grab derisking opportunities

    2014-01-13T00:00:00Z

    British Airways’ New Airways Pension Scheme has implemented a liability-hedging framework aiming to capture outperformance, as schemes take a more opportunistic approach to derisking. 

  • News

    Scheme confidence drives LDI take-up

    2014-01-07T00:00:00Z

    News analysis: Three-quarters of UK defined benefit pension schemes are using or planning to use liability-driven investment strategies, as increasing delegation is encouraging more complicated approaches.   

  • Opinion

    Concerns of rate rises is putting schemes off LDI

    2013-12-09T00:00:00Z

    Is lack of understanding holding scheme back from liability-driven investment derivative strategies? Yes – but not in the way you might think.

  • Opinion

    Fireproofing your portfolio against market shifts

    2013-12-03T00:00:00Z

    The global financial crisis demonstrated that extreme events are not as unlikely as many models predict. 

  • Features

    Rexam funding peak triggers risk reduction

    2013-09-27T00:00:00Z

    Rexam Pension Plan took advantage of a brief funding peak earlier this year to increase its inflation hedging and insure against equity losses, as more schemes implement trigger-based derisking strategies.

  • News

    Dorset uses LDI loophole to avoid 'unfit' LGPS regs

    2013-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Dorset County Pension Fund has set up an “expensive” special investment vehicle to circumvent troublesome Local Government Pension Scheme regulations, as it works to manage inflation.