All Infrastructure articles – Page 3
-
NewsDC schemes target private markets as room for illiquid assets increases
Data crunch: UK defined contribution pension schemes poured around £1bn into private markets last year as the search for yield intensified, according to MandateWire data.
-
NewsAsset manager consolidation and scheme maturation increase fees
On the go: Investment management fees across some asset classes have moved upwards after years of decline, according to new research.
-
NewsLGPS funds finish 2021 with an increased ESG equity focus
Data crunch: Making a broad equity allocation without incorporating environmental, social and governance criteria is now almost anathema to local authority pension schemes, at least according to the data collected by MandateWire over the fourth quarter of 2021.
-
NewsParliament pension fund makes ESG investments
On the go: The £766.3mn Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund made a number of new allocations to climate-aware funds over the year, including moving a portion of its equities to low-carbon and sustainable mandates.
-
NewsLPFA divests from extractive fossil fuels, PIC invests in urban project
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, as a local authority pension fund divests from extractive fossil fuels and the Pension Insurance Corporation invests in a Milton Keynes build-to-rent project.
-
NewsLGPS funds question government’s ‘levelling up’ investment target
A handful of Local Government Pension Scheme funds and a former pensions minister are unconvinced by the government’s new requirement for these schemes to set out plans for investing up to 5 per cent of their assets in domestic projects, as trustees’ fiduciary responsibilities could come under threat.
-
NewsMerchant Navy Officers scheme completes PIC buy-in
On the go: The £3.2bn Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund has signed a second buy-in with Pension Insurance Corporation worth £400mn.
-
NewsAlternative assets could give DC higher returns with no extra risk
Alternative assets could present defined contribution schemes with a means to increase value for members without taking on any extra risk, according to a new report from the Pensions Policy Institute.
-
NewsGovernment sets 5% target for LGPS investment in local areas
On the go: Local Government Pension Scheme funds have been asked by the government to set out plans for investing up to 5 per cent of their assets in projects that support local areas, according to the new ‘Levelling up’ white paper.
-
NewsChurch of England puts pressure on miners, PIC invests in student halls
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including the Church of England Pensions Board pushing miners on standards, the Pension Insurance Corporation’s investment in low-carbon student accommodation, and a pledge by the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance to halve portfolio emissions by 2030.
-
NewsTweaking the charge cap will not solve DC illiquids conundrum
As the government’s consultation on removing performance fees from the charge cap — designed to assist defined contribution schemes looking to invest in illiquids — closed on Tuesday, industry experts have warned that the measure may make very little difference, and may in fact prove counterproductive.
-
NewsAccess pool appoints illiquids alternatives consultant
On the go: The Access pool, which handles £32.6bn in pension assets for 11 Local Government Pension Scheme funds worth a collective £55.6bn, has selected MJ Hudson as its implementation adviser for the pooling of illiquid assets.
-
PodcastsPodcast: DC focus must ‘fundamentally shift’ from costs to value in 2022
Podcast: The focus on defined contribution scheme offerings must “fundamentally shift” from costs to value for money in 2022 if better outcomes are to be achieved. Darren Philp, director of policy and communication at Smart Pension, and Mike Ambery, partner at Hymans Robertson, discuss the DC outlook, expanding auto-enrolment, and reforming Solvency II.
-
NewsBorder to Coast increases investments in private markets
On the go: The £34.6bn Border to Coast Pensions Partnership, which handles the assets of 11 Local Government Pension Scheme funds worth a collective of £55bn, has committed a further £1.2bn to private markets.
-
NewsSolvency II reform could unlock ‘tens of billions’ in investments
On the go: The reform of the EU’s Solvency II requirements would unlock a “Brexit bonus” amounting to “tens of billions” of pounds in long-term infrastructure investment, according to a new report from the Pension Insurance Corporation.
-
NewsDB schemes derisk investments as funding levels improve
On the go: Defined benefit schemes are increasingly looking to derisk their investment approach to protect their improved funding levels, according to new research from Aon.
-
OpinionSchemes need to consider illiquids in endgame scenarios
With most defined benefit pension funds having an eye on the ‘endgame’, and for many this ultimately meaning buyout, a wariness towards locking assets up into illiquids that are hard to sell is not surprising.
-
NewsDC schemes could allocate almost half of assets to illiquids
On the go: Defined contribution schemes could allocate up to 40 per cent of assets to illiquids for younger members to help improve their outcomes, according to new research from Hymans Robertson.
-
NewsUSS increases Thames Water stake
On the go: The £82.2bn Universities Superannuation Scheme has made an additional investment in utility company Thames Water, increasing its holdings in the business to almost 20 per cent.
-
NewsPension funds ‘outcompeted’ on UK green infrastructure investments
Sky-high demand for UK green infrastructure assets means pension funds are often unable to invest as much as they would like in the asset class, industry figures have argued.