Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) has named capital markets head Ralph Berg as its next chief investment officer, succeeding Satish Rai.
Mr. Berg starts as CIO on April 1 after two years as global head of OMERS Capital Markets, where he oversaw the public-market investments that make up more than half of investment assets at the pension plan.
In April, Mr. Rai will move to an advisory role and plans to retire from OMERS late in 2024. He has been CIO since 2018 and also led OMERS’ capital markets arm during his eight years at the pension plan, while helping guide its expansion into Asian markets. He was previously CIO at TD Asset Management, a division of Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Mr. Berg has been at OMERS since 2013. He joined the pension plan as global head of its infrastructure arm after a career in banking at Credit Suisse Group AG and Deutsche Bank AG.
“Ralph is a proven investor and a seasoned executive,” said OMERS chief executive officer Blake Hutcheson, in a news release.
Mr. Berg’s successor as head of capital markets has yet to be announced.
OMERS had $119.5-billion of assets as of June 30 last year. Over Mr. Rai’s tenure as CIO, it has shifted more of its assets from public to private markets, which helped OMERS post steady results in the first half of last year, losing only 0.4 per cent despite difficult market conditions.
That came after two volatile years in the COVID-19 pandemic that included an 11.4-per-cent loss in 2020 – when OMERS marked down real estate and private equity holdings that were affected by strict public health measures – and a rebound in 2021 that saw the plan’s assets gain 15.7-per-cent.
As Mr. Rai prepares to step down, Mr. Hutcheson said: “I look forward to his continued commitment and counsel” in his advisory role.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was little changed in late-morning trading as the financial sector fell, but energy and base metal stocks moved higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.05 of a point at 24,224.95.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 94.31 points at 42,417.69. The S&P 500 index was down 10.91 points at 5,781.13, while the Nasdaq composite was down 29.59 points at 18,262.03.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.71 cents US compared with 73.05 cents US on Wednesday.
The November crude oil contract was up US$1.69 at US$74.93 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up a penny at US$2.67 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$14.70 at US$2,640.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up two cents at US$4.42 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in the technology and base meta sectors, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 106.70 points at 24,179.21.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 280.87 points at 42,361.24. The S&P 500 index was up 26.51 points at 5,777.64, while the Nasdaq composite was up 69.52 points at 18,252.44.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.08 cents US compared with 73.22 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 67 cents at US$72.90 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.66 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.30 at US$2,633.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was down five cents at US$4.41 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2024.
