Investment

PSP Investments posts 4.4% return despite ‘challenging’ markets

Published

1 year ago

June 10, 2023

PSP Investments said it was a challenging year for stocks and bonds. Photo by Getty Images

The Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) generated a net portfolio return of 4.4 per cent for the fiscal year that ended March 31 despite “challenging” markets, with officials crediting a combination of private market investments, international expansion and currency exposure.

Net assets under management grew to $243.7 billion from $230.5 billion, including $10.2 billion in net income and net transfers from the federal government of $2.9 billion, with double-digit one-year returns in asset classes including infrastructure, credit investments and natural resources.

While overall 2023 results did not reach the double-digit return of 10.9 per cent achieved in fiscal 2022, PSP Investments met a handful of financial objectives, including beating the 10-year return of a reference portfolio after costs. At the end of the most recent fiscal year, PSP’s 10-year net annualized return of 9.2 per cent exceeded the reference portfolio return of 7.6 per cent.

It was a “challenging year for both equities and fixed income” investments, said Deborah Orida, who took over as chief executive of PSP Investments on Sept. 1, 2022 after 13 years at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, where her roles included running CPPIB’s real assets department, encompassing infrastructure and real estate, and a six-year stint in Hong Kong.

“These results are indicative of the resilience of our diversified portfolio, the quality of our people, and our track record of entrepreneurialism that has supported the development of market-leading capabilities in areas such as infrastructure, natural resources, and private credit,” she said.

Orida credited “forward thinking and smart execution” for the pension’s performance and said these attributes “will become even more important in the coming years.”

Eduard van Gelderen, PSP’s chief investment officer, said the decision to diversify into private markets and expand internationally provided stability amid the “exceptionally volatile financial markets” in 2023.

Foreign currency exposure, meanwhile, boosted returns as the euro and British pound rebounded, while open U.S. dollar exposure “played its expected role in mitigating the total fund’s downside risk.”

PSP’s capital markets segment, which includes public market equities and fixed income, ended the fiscal year with net assets under management of $98.5 billion, a decrease of $1.4 billion from fiscal 2022, as global equity markets were hit by a combination of factors including measures taken by central banks to curb high inflation, global political tension and shockwaves sent through the financial sector by the U.S. regional banking crisis.

Fixed-income assets ended the year in positive territory, which PSP attributed mainly to “defensive positioning with a significant short duration bias amid the general bond market downturn caused by a global increase in interest rates.”

Credit investment performance, meanwhile, was boosted by higher interest spreads and upfront fee income growth in both credit investment and private equity portfolios.

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Economy

S&P/TSX composite down more than 200 points, U.S. stock markets also fall

Published

1 week ago

September 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.

The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Economy

S&P/TSX composite up more than 150 points, U.S. stock markets also higher

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.

The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Investment

Crypto Market Bloodbath Amid Broader Economic Concerns

Published

1 month ago

August 5, 2024

Harry Miller

The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.

The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.

Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.

The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.

Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.

Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.

Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.

Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.

The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.