Insights

APRA questions Insurers’ Risk Management

James Fraser-Smith, Future Fund’s head of unlisted infrastructure and timberland

Future Fund on Infra and Pandemics

Asset Owners, Private & Alternative Markets

The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on infrastructure assets, both positive and negative. Florence Chong speaks with the Future Fund’s James Fraser-Smith about the effect on airports, data centres and renewable assets.

Mahdi Mokrane, Head of Investment Strategy and Research, PATRIZIA

The Rise of Alt Property

Private & Alternative Markets, Real Estate

Alternative property types have become mainstream asset classes in the US and real assets investment firm PATRIZIA expects a similar trend to now unfold in Europe. We speak to Mahdi Mokrane to gain a deeper understanding of the drivers behind this trend.

Wouter Klijn, Director of Content at the Investment Innovation Institute [i3]

Your Future, Our Super

Editorial

The Your Future, Your Super performance test is not a measure of performance at all. It is a guarantee of mediocre outcomes, Wouter Klijn, Editor of [i3] Insights writes.

Nik Kemp, Head of Infrastructure, AustralianSuper

AustralianSuper and the Energy Transition

Asset Owners, ESG, Private & Alternative Markets

The Energy Transition offers much more than investing just in renewable energy, AustralianSuper says. And with the Green New Deal taking off in the US, the fund is now forging ahead with establishing a New York office to capitalise on these opportunities.

Pierre Lenders, Head of ESG, Capital Funds Management

Finding ESG Trends through Quant

ESG, Factors, Quant & Systematic

Taking a quantitative approach to ESG allows investors to capitalise on companies moving towards greener and more sustainable business models, rather than simply screening out the biggest polluters and narrowing down the opportunity set, CFM says.

Dong-Hun Jang, CIO, Public Officials Benefit Association

POBA Turns to Alternatives

Asset Owners, Private & Alternative Markets

Recognising that traditional asset classes were insufficient to meet Korean pensions fund POBA’s objectives, CIO Dong-Hun Jang turned to alternatives. These assets now make up two thirds of the fund and he has plans for a further increase, Jang tells Dan Purves.

COVID sparks PROP Relaunch

ESG

Mental health awareness campaign People Reaching Out to People (PROP) has relaunched its educational campaign, 12 months after the start of the coronavirus pandemic in Australia.

Anthony Michael, CIO at Alliance Australia

Allianz Australia’s Diversification Journey

Asset Allocation & Strategy, Asset Owners

Allianz Australia has been on a diversification journey over the last three years. In this interview, we speak with CIO Anthony Michael about the challenges an insurance company faces in achieving better diversification.

Michael Hanson, Senior Vice President of Research at Fisher Investments

We Are Still Late Cycle

Equities

Positive economic data coming out of the US has led many investors to switch to a risk-on mindset, but the data has been inflated by a burst of activity following the widespread easing of pandemic restrictions. The reality is that we are still late cycle, according to Fisher Investments.