Sovereign Wealth
Norway’s oil fund boosted by market rally and weak krone
Fund returns 5.3% in the first quarter, a new record in krone terms, led by strong equity returns and weak currency; fund continues to use clout to encourage ethical decisions by firms
Norway SWF pioneers new activist approach at BP and Shell AGMs
Norges Bank Investment Management says it will vote in favour of resolution for more in-depth reporting of climate change risks by BP in AGM tomorrow
Book notes: Sovereign debt management, by Rosa María Lastra and Lee Buchheit
An immensely valuable compilation of contributions by lawyers and several economists on sovereign debt. This book is eminently readable, in spite of its difficult subject matter
Qatari royal takes over oil fund
Previous CEO lasted little over a year before he was replaced by a member of the Qatari ruling family; sovereign wealth fund comes bottom in global governance and transparency rankings
MAS chief sees SWFs struggling with secular stagnation
Ravi Menon urges sovereign wealth funds to move beyond traditional asset classes to tackle diminishing returns
Trinidad and Tobago SWF set to gain corporate status
Incorporation will enable Heritage and Stabilisation Fund to hire staff and build capacity, says chairman Ralph Henry; ‘decent’ returns this year, he says
Norway SWF suffers weakest quarter in two years
Government Pension Fund Global returns 0.1% in third quarter following losses on European stocks; acquired several properties in EU and US
The value of ETFs to central bank reserves managers
Exchange-traded funds have emerged as a means for reserve managers to gain access to new exposures and markets, but are they fit for purpose?
Bank of Mexico will run new oil fund
Central bank will be responsible for receiving, managing and distributing all income, excepting taxes, of the country’s oil and gas operations; will invest over ‘wider horizon’ than with past fund
Norway SWF manager doubles leadership team
Norges Bank Investment Management sets up separate ‘leader group' for real estate investments; wealth fund returns 3.3% ($31 billion) in second quarter
Angola SWF to send students to Switzerland as it ‘invests in investing'
Petroleum fund will pay for bright young Angolans to study investment in Zurich; move follows advice from abroad that investment capacity should be built up
Timor-Leste SWF hits 40% equities allocation
Timor-Leste petroleum fund quarterly report shows returns still exactly in line with benchmark; equity allocation hits 40%
Angola SWF joins London-based international forum
Angolan sovereign wealth fund joins London-based International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds; Kazakh fund granted associate membership
Sovereign wealth fund could help Macao overcome gambling dependency, IMF says
Central bank could manage new sovereign wealth fund as Macao authorities seek higher return on booming reserves; IMF encourages idea in staff report
Former Temasek chairman makes switch to GIC board
S Dhanabalan returns to the GIC board which he left in 2005 to become Temasek chairman; Temasek's head of Europe has also quit the fund
Nigeria SWF to manage $350m for national electricity buyer
Finance minister backs deal, saying Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority will deliver a better return than the central bank
Kazakh central bank fund seeks advisers on managing $110bn reserves
Consultants sought to help direct country's reserve management strategy and SWF's growth in the alternative assets space
Sovereign bonds offer ‘return-less risk' says GIC's head of fixed income
The returns on offer from the biggest sovereign bond issuers offer too little return even for the small level of risk associated, says GIC's managing director in charge of fixed income
Ethical investment may not mean higher returns, says Norway fund chief economist
Ethical investment is ‘consistent with earning good returns' and suits a long-term strategy, but there is no evidence linking higher returns with avoiding unethical sectors
New Zealand SWF to invest in catastrophe reinsurance
Catastrophe insurance's strong liquidity and cyclical nature makes it a good fit for New Zealand sovereign wealth fund, investment strategist tells Central Banking conference
OECD warns taper hits developing-world growth prospects
Paris-based club of advanced economies warns taper will combine with declining commodity cycle and anaemic eurozone growth to hurt the growth prospects of developing countries
Bank of Russia sells half its stake in Moscow bourse to SWF-led investor group
Sovereign funds and institutional investors lead purchase of 11% stake in Moscow stock exchange as central bank proceeds with mandated divestment
Temasek marks 40th birthday by opening New York office
Office is the Singaporean sovereign fund's first in the US; chair Lim Boon Heng says Temasek is forward-looking - even experimenting with Bitcoin
Temasek takes stake in Santander custody business
Singaporean SWF joins with private equity firm Warburg Pincus to buy half of Santander's custody business - giving the Spanish bank's balance sheet a welcome boost