Pension Pulse

Barbara Shecter of the National Post reports Trump's global shakeup is complicating life for Canada's $2-trillion pension giants: Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board chief executive Jo Taylor and his investing team usually rely on a lot of real-world data when determining where to allocate billions of dollars of investment money on behalf of retirees. But United States President Donald Trump’s flurry of edicts that threaten to upend global trade and geopolitical alliances makes it hard to know what data points they should even be looking at. “The predictability of what we’re investing in is lower,” Taylor said as pension teams across the country dig into drafting and assessing potential scenarios for a year that, given the prospect of multiple pockets of economic and geopolitical unrest, could be very different from those that came before it. “Looking forward and trying to predict the future is more challenging.” Globally invested pensions such as Teachers’, pa...

Pia Signh and Sarah Min of CNBC report Wall Street sell-off deepens on inflation worries, Dow closes 700 points lower: Stocks sold off sharply on Friday, pressured by growing uncertainty on U.S. trade policy as well as a more grim outlook on inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 715.80 points, or 1.69%, at 41,583.90. The S&P 500 shed 1.97% to 5,580.94, ending the week down for the fifth time in the last six weeks. The Nasdaq Composite plunged 2.7% to settle at 17,322.99. Shares of several technology giants dropped, putting pressure on the broader market. Google-parent Alphabet lost 4.9%, while Meta and Amazon each shed 4.3%. This week, the S&P 500 lost 1.53%, while the 30-stock Dow shed 0.96%. The Nasdaq declined by 2.59%. With this latest losing week, Nasdaq is now on pace for a more than 8% monthly decline, which would be its worst monthly performance since December 2022. Stocks took a leg lower on Friday after the University of Michigan’s final re...

Today, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced it acquired 92,000 sqm prime logistics portfolio in Sweden and Denmark: Ontario Teachers’ has completed the acquisition of a 92,000 sqm logistics portfolio from funds managed by Blackstone. The portfolio comprises three assets in Sweden and two in Denmark. The transaction marks the second acquisition by Ontario Teachers’ in the Nordic region, following its initial acquisition of a 121,000 sqm portfolio in Sweden in late 2023, and further strengthens its pan-European logistics portfolio which now comprises over €1.8 bn of logistics assets across all of the core European markets. The acquisition is undertaken together with Fokus Nordic, Ontario Teachers’ local operating partner. Stockholm, 27 March, 2025: Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (“Ontario Teachers’”) has completed the acquisition of a 92,000 sqm logistics portfolio from funds managed by Blackstone . The portfolio consists of three high-quality assets in Sweden...

Today, CPP Investments announced a third follow-on investment in India's National Highways Infra Trust: Mumbai, INDIA (March 26, 2025) – Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ( CPP Investments ) today announced a follow-on investment of INR 20.8 billion (C$346 million) in the units of National Highways Infra Trust (NHIT), an Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) sponsored by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). This marks the third follow-on investment by CPP Investments since its initial investment at the inception of NHIT in 2021. The investment is part of NHIT’s capital raise by way of an institutional placement . The proceeds will be used by NHIT to partially fund the acquisition of eleven operating toll roads currently owned by NHAI. Following this investment, CPP Investments will continue to hold 25% of the units in NHIT, and CPP Investments’ total investment in NHIT will increase to INR 57.6 billion (C$960 million). “India remains a strategi...

Josh Recamara of Insurance Business Magazine reports Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan is reassessing its private equity strategy: Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is reassessing its private equity strategy, moving away from full ownership of companies and focusing more on partnerships. The shift aims to mitigate risk and address the growing complexities of managing portfolio companies, Bloomberg reported.  The fund, which oversees around $266.3 billion, has historically acquired companies outright through its private equity division while co-investing alongside partners and external managers.   Moving forward, Ontario Teachers’ will increase its reliance on partnerships r...

Infrastructure expert Aaron Vale attended the Berlin infrastructure conference recently and was kind enough to share his thoughts and insights in this guest post: Berlin Summit: Caffeine Buzz and Sugar High The annual Berlin infrastructure conference is a spectacle like no other - a global gathering where investors, fund managers, lawyers, bankers, and industry pros converge to take the pulse of the infrastructure investment world. Picture the Berlin Hilton bursting at the seams, with conversations spilling into nearby coffee shops and bars, generating countless millions in economic activity for the city. It’s an event that leaves attendees running on empty, but also brimming with insights. As winter reluctantly gives way to spring, this year's edition proved particularly illuminating against today's complex macroeconomic backdrop.  I am grateful for the chance to participate in the dynamic private infrastructure investment industry. The Berlin conference provides a valuable...