Pension Funds Letter 22 - New realities, new searches for returns

Amongst other things, 2024 will be remembered for being the year of elections. More voters than ever before, over half the world’s population, had the opportunity to express their vote this year. While almost all these votes have now been counted, what the different outcomes will mean both domestically and more globally is only likely to become clear next year. We wait especially with bated breath, to see how Trump 2.0 will play out around the world.

US policy shifts will have repercussions on emerging markets in particular. Asian emerging markets are one of the themes featured in the 2024 Amundi-CREATE pension survey. As pension investors look for new sources of return, both private and emerging markets are gaining traction. Asia is an increasingly important driver of global growth, while private markets are viewed as a source of value creation, providing exposure to innovation. We look at what has been driving, and constraining, pension allocations to these asset classes.

Continuing the theme of private markets, the second article explores how ESG integration is being adopted by private market investors and how a multi-manager portfolio can manage its ESG risk.

As investors seek diversification and additional returns, the securitisation market has been attracting attention. We examine some of the advantages the European securitisation market can offer pension funds and the risks to consider.

Finally, we wrap up with what the latest market moves have meant for pension funding ratios in some of the key markets. Funding ratios are a standard indicator for measuring the health of a DB scheme. As pensions move more and more towards DC systems, how do we assess if these retirement provisions are sufficient? We discuss some of the developments.

You can now read the full whitepaper at the link below