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CPP Investments Net Assets Total $456.7 Billion at Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 – Canada NewsWire

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All figures in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

Second-Quarter Highlights:

  • $21.6 billion in net income generated for the Fund
  • 10-year net return of 10.5%

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2020 /CNW/ – Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) ended its second quarter of fiscal 2021 on September 30, 2020, with net assets of $456.7 billion, compared to $434.4 billion at the end of the previous quarter.

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The $22.3 billion increase in net assets for the quarter consisted of $21.6 billion in net income after all CPP Investments costs and $0.7 billion in net Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions.

The Fund, which includes the combination of the base CPP and additional CPP accounts, achieved
10-year and five-year annualized net nominal returns of 10.5% and 9.6%, respectively. For the quarter, the Fund returned 5.0% net of all CPP Investments costs. 

For the six-month fiscal year-to-date period, the Fund increased by $47.1 billion consisting of
$44.5 billion in net income after all CPP Investments costs, plus $2.6 billion in net CPP contributions. For the period, the Fund returned 10.8% net of all CPP Investments costs.

“CPP Investments’ diversified Fund performed well this quarter, generating strong returns. However, we continue to be cautious about the months ahead given the highly uncertain economic fallout of COVID-19 and its effect on markets,” said Mark Machin, President & Chief Executive Officer, CPP Investments. “All of our investment departments generated positive returns this quarter. Our investment professionals continue to pursue opportunities that will bring value to the Fund over the long term.”

The Fund’s growth is primarily attributed to the continued recovery of global public equity markets in the first two months of the quarter, reflected in gains in both the Fund’s public and private holdings. Stock markets retracted in September driven by concerns over new COVID-19 lockdown measures and uncertainty related to monetary stimulus, tempering these gains.

CPP Investments continues to build a portfolio designed to achieve a maximum rate of return without undue risk of loss, taking into account the factors that may affect the funding of the CPP and the CPP’s ability to meet its financial obligations. The CPP is designed to serve today’s contributors and beneficiaries while looking ahead to future decades and across multiple generations. Accordingly, long-term results are a more appropriate measure of CPP Investments’ performance compared to quarterly or annual cycles.

Fund 10- and Five-Year Returns1, 2, 3
(for the period ending September 30, 2020)


Investment Rate of Return
(Nominal)

Net Income4

10-Year Annualized

10.5%

$273.0 billion

Five-Year Annualized

9.6%

$163.9 billion

Fiscal 2021 YTD

10.8%

$44.5 billion

1

After all CPP Investments costs.

2

Rates of return are calculated on a time-weighted basis.

3

Includes both base and additional CPP.

4

Dollar figures are cumulative.

Performance of the Base and Additional CPP Accounts
The base CPP account ended its second quarter of fiscal 2021 on September 30, 2020, with net assets of $452.6 billion, compared to $431.1 billion at the end of the previous quarter. The $21.5 billion increase in assets consisted of $21.5 billion in net income after all costs, less $54 million in net base CPP outflows. The base CPP account achieved a 5.0% net return for the quarter.

The additional CPP account ended its second quarter of fiscal 2021 on September 30, 2020, with net assets of $4.1 billion, compared to $3.3 billion at the end of the previous quarter. The $0.8 billion increase in assets consisted of $0.1 billion in net income and $0.7 billion in net additional CPP contributions. The additional CPP account achieved a 3.0% net return for the quarter.

The base and additional CPP differ in contributions, investment incomes and risk targets. We expect the investment performance of each account to be different.

Long-Term Sustainability
Every three years, the Office of the Chief Actuary of Canada conducts an independent review of the sustainability of the CPP over the next 75 years. In the most recent triennial review published in December 2019, the Chief Actuary reaffirmed that, as at December 31, 2018, both the base and additional CPP continue to be sustainable over the 75-year projection period at the legislated contribution rates.

The Chief Actuary’s projections are based on the assumption that, over the 75 years following 2018, the base CPP investments will earn an average annual rate of return of 3.95% above the rate of Canadian consumer price inflation, after all costs. The corresponding assumption is that the additional CPP investments will earn an average annual real rate of return of 3.38%.

The Fund, combining both the base CPP and additional CPP accounts, achieved 10-year and five-year annualized net real returns of 8.8% and 8.0%, respectively.

Diversified Asset Mix

For the quarter ending September 30, 2020

($ billions)                                                 





$

%


 

Public Equities




Canadian

6.7

1.5


Foreign

84.0

18.4


Emerging

52.9

11.6



143.6

31.5


 

Private Equities




Canadian

1.1

0.3


Foreign

95.0

20.8


Emerging

16.1

3.5



112.2

24.6


 

Government Bonds




Non-marketable

22.9

5.0


Marketable

74.5

16.3



97.4

21.3


 

Credit

55.2

12.1


 

Real Assets




Real estate

43.6

9.5


Infrastructure

37.4

8.2


Energy and resources

8.2

1.8


Power and renewables

9.1

2.0



98.3

21.5


External Debt Issuance

(38.6)

(8.5)


Cash and Absolute Return Strategies1

(11.5)

(2.5)


Net Investments

456.6

100.0


Non-investment assets2

0.1


Net Assets3

456.7


1

The negative balance of $11.5 billion in Cash & Absolute Return Strategies represents the net amount of financing through
derivatives and repurchase agreements, and the current net position from Absolute Return Strategies.

2

Includes assets such as premises and equipment and non-investment liabilities.

3

Includes $452.6 billion of base CPP and $4.1 billion of additional CPP.

Operational Highlights:

Corporate developments

  • Hosted 10 public meetings, one for each of the nine provinces that participate in the CPP and one meeting for the three territories, to inform Canadians about the Fund’s financial performance and our investment strategy.
  • Published the 2020 annual Report on Sustainable Investing, which outlines CPP Investments’ approach to environmental, social and governance factors. The report shows that our investments in global renewable energy companies more than doubled to $6.6 billion in the one-year period of the report.
  • Thinking Ahead, the thought leadership lab at CPP Investments, issued research on How COVID-19 is shaping the landscape for long-term investors. In this latest report, professionals at CPP Investments analyzed the breadth of change expected following the global pandemic, as well as emerging opportunities.

Executive announcements

  • Appointed Ed Cass as CPP Investments’ first dedicated Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and Head of Total Fund Management. The CIO role was created to effectively address the anticipated size and scale of CPP Investments by 2025 and beyond. Total Fund Management comprises the former Total Portfolio Management department and the Balancing & Collateral team formerly residing in the Capital Markets and Factor Investing department. Ed was most recently Global Head of Real Assets.
  • Appointed Deborah Orida as Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Real Assets, where she will be responsible for the global Real Assets program, which encompasses Energy & Resources, Infrastructure, Power & Renewables, Real Estate and Portfolio Value Creation. Deborah was most recently Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Active Equities.

Board announcements

  • Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum was reappointed as Chairperson of the Board for a term of three years ending in October 2023. Dr. Munroe-Blum first became a Director of CPP Investments in 2010 and assumed the role of Chairperson in 2014. She also serves on the board of the Royal Bank of Canada and is Chairperson of the Gairdner Foundation. Dr. Munroe-Blum served as the Principal and Vice-Chancellor (President) of McGill University from 2003-2013.
  • Mary Phibbs was reappointed to the Board of Directors for a term ending in May 2023.
    Ms. Phibbs was first appointed a CPP Investments Director in May 2017. She also serves as Chairperson of Virgin Money Unit Trust Managers Limited and is a non-executive Director of Morgan Stanley International Limited, Morgan Stanley & Co International plc and Morgan Stanley Bank International Limited. Ms. Phibbs previously had a 40-year, multidisciplinary career in international banking and finance, both in executive and non-executive roles.
  • The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) named the CPP Investments Board of Directors as a winner of this year’s NACD NXT® awards. NACD NXT showcases boards that are leveraging innovation and diversity to elevate company performance, and this is the first time the recognition has been awarded to a Canada-based organization.
  • Board Chairperson Heather Munroe-Blum was appointed to The Committee on the Future of Corporate Governance in Canada, a joint initiative established by TMX Group and the Institute of Corporate Directors to provide updated guidance on corporate governance for Toronto Stock Exchange-listed companies.

Bond issuance

  • Completed two international debt offerings: GBP one-year term notes totalling £200 million and USD five-year term notes totalling US$1 billion. CPP Investments uses a conservative amount of short- and medium-term debt as one of several tools to manage our investment operations. Debt issuance gives CPP Investments flexibility to fund investments that may not match our contribution cycle. Net proceeds from the issuances will be used by CPP Investments for general corporate purposes.

Second-Quarter Investment Highlights:

Active Equities

  • Invested an additional C$309 million in a rights offering by Cellnex Telecom S.A., a leading mobile-tower owner and operator based in Spain, holding total ownership in the company at 4.95%.
  • Invested US$50 million in Perfect Day, Inc., an animal-free dairy maker, the first investment in our Climate Change Opportunities strategy.

Credit Investments

  • Invested US$75 million in a senior secured term loan issued by Global Lending Services LLC, an auto financing solutions provider.
  • Invested US$175 million in the first lien term loan, senior secured notes and second lien term loans of LogMeIn, Inc., a provider of remote working, collaboration and customer engagement software-as-a-service solutions.
  • Committed to acquire up to US$1 billion of home improvement focused consumer loans from Service Finance Company, LLC, a sales finance business owned by ECN Capital Corp. Under the agreement, the purchases will be made through 2020 and 2021.

Private Equity

  • Committed US$300 million in equity to the proposed acquisition of Virtusa Corporation (Virtusa) for an approximate 24% stake, alongside Baring Private Equity Asia. Virtusa is a global provider of a full spectrum of IT services.
  • Increased our investment in Visma, the software-as-a-service provider headquartered in Norway, to an approximate 6% stake.
  • Completed the acquisition of Galileo Global Education, a leading international provider of higher education and Europe’s largest higher education group, as part of a consortium of investors, with an investment of €550 million for a significant minority stake.

Real Assets

  • Extended our partnership with GLP through the launch of the GLP Japan Income Fund (GLP JIF), the largest private open-ended logistics fund in Japan. The partnership with GLP was first established in 2011, and at the end of August 2020, CPP Investments successfully exited the investment in GLP JDV I, receiving approximately JPY 48 billion (C$590 million) of net proceeds. Following the disposition, CPP Investments recommitted JPY 25 billion (C$307 million) of the proceeds into the newly established GLP JIF.
  • Expanded the existing multifamily joint venture alongside Cyrela Brazil Realty to include new partner, Greystar Real Estate Partners, LLC, the global leader in rental housing. Together, the joint venture partners will develop a portfolio of world-class rental housing assets across São Paulo and continue to target an investment of up to R$1 billion in combined equity. We will maintain majority interest in the joint venture.

Asset Dispositions:

  • Sold our ownership interest in Zoox, a U.S. technology company focused on developing a fully integrated autonomous vehicle mobility solution, as part of Amazon.com, Inc.’s acquisition of the company. Our ownership interest was initially acquired in 2018.
  • Sold our 45% stakes in AMLI 900, AMLI Lofts, AMLI Campion Trail, and AMLI Arts Center, multifamily properties in the U.S. Combined net proceeds from the sales were approximately US$224 million. Our ownership interests were initially acquired in 2012 and 2013.
  • Exited the investment in luxury retailer Neiman Marcus Group LTD LLC through Chapter 11 proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court and, as a result, did not realize any net proceeds from the investment. Along with our co-sponsor, we continue to be majority investors in Mytheresa, a high-growth, online ultra-luxury fashion retailer. Our ownership interest was initially acquired in 2013.
  • Sold 10,000,000 shares in the capital of Battle North Gold Corporation, a Canadian gold mine developer, through the open markets for net proceeds of approximately C$19 million.

Transaction Highlights Following the Quarter:

  • Entered into an agreement to invest an additional C$50 million, through a private placement of common shares, in Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, a specialty food manufacturing and differentiated food distribution businesses, to support its joint acquisition of Clearwater Seafoods Incorporated with a Mi’kmaq First Nations coalition.
  • Invested an additional US$350 million in Viking Holdings Ltd, the parent company of Viking Cruises, alongside our co-investor TPG Capital. Viking Cruises is a leading provider of worldwide river and ocean cruises and this investment will support its continued development. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
  • Invested in a combination of secondary offerings and market purchases of Avantor Inc., a leading global provider of products and services to customers in the biopharma, healthcare, education and government, and advanced technologies and applied materials industries, holding total ownership in the company at 2.0% with a combined investment of US$285 million.
  • Allocated an additional £300 million of equity to investment vehicles in the United Kingdom targeting the logistics sector, alongside Goodman Group and APG Asset Management N.V. The expansion follows the success of the Goodman UK Partnership established in 2015.
  • Exited our 18% ownership stake in Advanced Disposal Services Inc., a solid waste services company in the U.S., through its acquisition by Waste Management Inc. Net proceeds from the sale were US$502 million. Our ownership stake was originally acquired in 2016.
  • Converted and sold our convertible debt position in Bloom Energy, a manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cells in the U.S. Net proceeds from the sales and an April 2020 partial repayment from the company were approximately US$452 million. Our position was initially acquired in 2015, followed by two further investments in 2016 and 2017.
  • Sold our 50% interest in Phase One of Nova, an office-led mixed-used development in London Victoria, U.K. Net proceeds from the sale are expected to be approximately C$720 million. Our ownership interest was initially acquired in 2012.
  • Invested €200 million in Embracer Group, a Sweden-listed developer and publisher active in the global video game industry, for a 3% stake.

About Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments™) is a professional investment management organization that manages the Fund in the best interest of the more than 20 million contributors and beneficiaries of the Canada Pension Plan. In order to build diversified portfolios of assets, investments are made around the world in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income. Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, New York City, San Francisco, São Paulo and Sydney, CPP Investments is governed and managed independently of the Canada Pension Plan and at arm’s length from governments. At September 30, 2020, the Fund totalled $456.7 billion. For more information, please visit www.cppinvestments.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

Disclaimer
Certain statements included in this press release constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable United States safe harbors. All such forward-looking statements are made and disclosed in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of applicable United States securities laws. Forward-looking information and statements include all information and statements regarding CPP Investments’ intentions, plans, expectations, beliefs, objectives, future performance, and strategy, as well as any other information or statements that relate to future events or circumstances and which do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts. Forward-looking information and statements often but not always use words such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” and similar expressions. The forward-looking information and statements are not historical facts but reflect CPP Investments’ current expectations regarding future results or events. The forward-looking information and statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including available investment income, intended acquisitions, regulatory and other approvals and general investment conditions. Although CPP Investments believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. CPP Investments does not undertake to publicly update such statements to reflect new information, future events, and changes in circumstances or for any other reason. The information contained on CPP Investments’ website, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are not a part of this press release. CPP INVESTMENTS, INVESTISSEMENTS RPC, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, L’OFFICE D’INVESTISSEMENT DU RPC, CPPIB and other names, phrases, logos, icons, graphics, images, designs or other content used throughout the press release may be trade names, registered trademarks, unregistered trademarks, or other intellectual property of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and are used by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and/or its affiliates under license. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

For further information: Darryl Konynenbelt, Director, Media Relations, T: +1 416 972 8389, [email protected]

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Want to Outperform 88% of Professional Fund Managers? Buy This 1 Investment and Hold It Forever. – The Motley Fool

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You don’t have to be a stock market genius to outperform most pros.

You might not think it’s possible to outperform the average Wall Street professional with just a single investment. Fund managers are highly educated and steeped in market data. They get paid a lot of money to make smart investments.

But the truth is, most of them may not be worth the money. With the right steps, individual investors can outperform the majority of active large-cap mutual fund managers over the long run. You don’t need a doctorate or MBA, and you certainly don’t need to follow the everyday goings-on in the stock market. You just need to buy a single investment and hold it forever.

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That’s because 88% of active large-cap fund managers have underperformed the S&P 500 index over the last 15 years thru Dec. 31, 2023, according to S&P Global’s most recent SPIVA (S&P Indices Versus Active) scorecard. So if you buy a simple S&P 500 index fund like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO -0.23%), chances are that your investment will outperform the average active mutual fund in the long run.

Image source: Getty Images.

Why is it so hard for fund managers to outperform the S&P 500?

It’s a good bet that the average fund manager is hardworking and well-trained. But there are at least two big factors working against active fund managers.

The first is that institutional investors make up roughly 80% of all trading in the U.S. stock market — far higher than it was years ago when retail investors dominated the market. That means a professional investor is mostly trading shares with another manager who is also very knowledgeable, making it much harder to gain an edge and outperform the benchmark index.

The more basic problem, though, is that fund managers don’t just need to outperform their benchmark index. They need to beat the index by a wide enough margin to justify the fees they charge. And that reduces the odds that any given large-cap fund manager will be able to outperform an S&P 500 index fund by a significant amount.

The SPIVA scorecard found that just 40% of large-cap fund managers outperformed the S&P 500 in 2023 once you factor in fees. So if the odds of outperforming fall to 40-60 for a single year, you can see how the odds of beating the index consistently over the long run could go way down.

What Warren Buffett recommends over any other single investment

Warren Buffett is one of the smartest investors around, and he can’t think of a single better investment than an S&P 500 index fund. He recommends it even above his own company, Berkshire Hathaway.

In his 2016 letter to shareholders, Buffett shared a rough calculation that the search for superior investment advice had cost investors, in aggregate, $100 billion over the previous decade relative to investing in a simple index fund.

Even Berkshire Hathaway holds two small positions in S&P 500 index funds. You’ll find shares of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY) in Berkshire’s quarterly disclosures. Both are great options for index investors, offering low expense ratios and low tracking errors (a measure of how closely an ETF price follows the underlying index). There are plenty of other solid index funds you could buy, but either of the above is an excellent option as a starting point.

Adam Levy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Index Funds or Stocks: Which is the Better Investment? – The Motley Fool Canada

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Canadian investors might come across a lot of arguments out there for or against index funds and stocks. When it comes to investing, some might believe clicking once and getting an entire index is the way to go. Others might believe that stocks provide far more growth.

So let’s settle it once and for all. Which is the better investment: index funds or stocks?

Case for Index funds

Index funds can be considered a great investment for a number of reasons. These funds typically track a broad market index, such as the S&P 500. By investing in them you gain exposure to a diverse range of assets within that index, and that helps to spread out your risk.

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These funds also tend to have lower expense ratios compared to an actively managed fund. They merely passively track an index rather than a team of analysts constantly changing the fund’s mix of investments. This means lower expenses, and lower fees for investors.

Funds also tend to have more consistent returns compared to individual stocks, which can see significant fluctuations in value. You therefore may enjoy an overall market trending upwards over the long term. This long-term focus can then benefit investors from the power of compounding returns, growing wealth significantly over time.

Case for stocks

That doesn’t mean that stocks can’t be a great investment as well. Stocks have historically provided higher returns compared to other asset classes over the long run. When you invest in stocks, you’re buying ownership of stakes in a company. This ownership then entitles you to a share of the company’s profits through returns or dividends.

Investing in a diverse range of stocks can then help spread out risk. Whereas an index fund is making the choice for you, Canadian investors can choose the stocks they invest in, creating the perfect diversified portfolio for them.

What’s more, stocks are quite liquid. This means you can buy and sell them easily on the stock market, providing you with cash whenever you need it. What’s more, this can be helpful during periods of volatility in the economy, providing a hedge against inflation and the ability to sell to make up income.

In some jurisdictions as well, even if you lose out on stocks you can apply capital losses, reducing overall tax liability in the process. And while it can be challenging, capital gains can also allow you to even beat the market!

So which is best?

I’m sure some people won’t like this answer, but investing in both is definitely the best route to take. If you’re set in your ways, that can mean you’re losing out on the potential returns which you could achieve by investing in both of these investment strategies.

A great option that would provide diversification is to invest in strong Canadian companies, while also investing in diversified, global index funds. For instance, consider the Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap Ex Canada Index ETF Unit (TSX:VXC), which provides investors with a mix of global equities, all with different market caps. This provides you with a diversified range of investments that over time have seen immense growth.

This index does not invest in Canada, so you can then couple that with Canadian investments. Think of the most boring areas of the market, and these can provide the safest investments! For instance, we always need utilities. So investing in a company such as Hydro One (TSX:H) can provide long-term growth. What’s more, it’s a younger stock compared to its utility peers, providing a longer runway for growth. And with a 3.15% dividend yield, you can gain extra passive income as well.

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Former Bay Street executive leads push to require firms to account for inflation in investment reports – The Globe and Mail

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Open this photo in gallery:

Former chief executive officer of RBC Dominion Securities Tony Fell is campaigning to require the Canadian financial industry to account for inflation in how it reports investment returns.Neville Elder/Handout

While the average Canadian is fixated on the price of gasoline and groceries, inflation may be quietly killing their investment returns.

Compounded across many years, even modest inflation can deal a powerful blow to a standard investment portfolio. And investors commonly underappreciate the threat.

But a legend of the Canadian investment banking industry is trying to change that.

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Tony Fell, the former chief executive officer of RBC Dominion Securities, is campaigning to require the Canadian financial industry to account for inflation in how it reports investment returns.

“I think they will find this very hard to argue against,” he said in an interview. “It’s a matter of transparency and reporting integrity. But that doesn’t mean it will happen.”

Mr. Fell made his case in a recent letter to the Ontario Securities Commission, arguing that Canadian investors are being misled. He has not yet received a response from the regulator.

Canadians with an investment account receive a statement at least once a year detailing how their investments have performed. For the most part, rates of return are calculated on a nominal basis, meaning they have no inflation component factored in.

A real return, on the other hand, accounts for the hit to purchasing power from rising consumer prices.

These figures, Mr. Fell argues, would give investors a clearer picture of how much they have gained from a given investment.

And since Statistics Canada calculates inflation on a monthly basis, the investment industry would already have access to the data it needs to make the switch to real returns. It would be very little trouble and no extra cost, Mr. Fell said.

Still, he said he expects the investment industry will resist his proposal. “The mutual-fund lobby is so strong, and nobody wants to rock the boat too much.”

He points to the battle to inform Canadians of the investment fees they pay. For 30 years, investor advocates have been pushing for improvements to disclosure.

One major set of regulatory changes, which took effect in 2016, required financial companies to disclose how much clients paid for financial advice.

But the reforms left out one major component of mutual-fund fees. The cost of advice is there, but many investors still don’t see how much they pay in fund-management fees, which amount to billions of dollars paid by Canadians each year.

Total cost reporting, which should finally close the fee-disclosure gap, is set to come into effect in 2026. “It’s outrageous,” Mr. Fell said. “That should have been done years ago.”

So, it’s hard to imagine the industry warmly receiving his proposal, or the regulators enthusiastically pushing for its consideration.

The OSC said it agrees that retail investors need to be attuned to the effects of inflation, which is where investment advisers come in. “Professional advice requires an assessment of risk tolerance and risk appetite in order for an adviser to know their client, including the effect of the cost of living on achieving their financial objectives,” OSC spokesman Andy McNair-West said in an e-mail.

And yet, Mr. Fell said, the need exists for more formal reporting of inflation-adjusted performance.

Inflation often goes overlooked by the industry and investors alike. It can be seen in the celebration of stock indexes at all-time nominal highs, which wouldn’t look so great if inflation were factored in.

The inflationary extremes of the 1970s provide a stark illustration. In 1979, the S&P 500 index posted a total return of 18.5 per cent – a blockbuster year until you consider that inflation was 13.3 per cent.

That took the index’s real return down to a lacklustre 5.2 per cent.

More recently, investors in Canada and the United States piled into savings instruments promising 5-per-cent nominal rates of return. But the rate of inflation in Canada averaged 6.8 per cent in 2022, more than wiping out the return on things such as guaranteed investment certificates, in most cases.

“A lot of people don’t connect those dots,” said Dan Hallett, head of research at HighView Financial Group. “Over 10 years, even 2-per-cent inflation really eats away at purchasing power.”

He worries, however, that reporting after-inflation returns may confuse average investors, many of whom still fail to understand the basic investment fees they’re paying.

All the more reason to get Canadian investors thinking more about inflation, Mr. Fell argues.

“The impact of inflation on investing is sort of forgotten about,” he said. “The only way I can think of turning that around is to highlight it in investors’ statements.”

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