IPERS Increases Exposure To Systematic Bank Premia

Oct 11, 2024

News category: MandateConnect

Liquid Credit Strategies Gain Favor With U.S. Public Plans

Jan 26, 2024

Liquid credit strategies that sometimes employ credit-default swaps or use quantitative-driven investment styles are becoming more popular with U.S. public plans, MandateConnect data show.

Oregon Eliminates Risk Premia

Jan 23, 2024

The Oregon State Treasury is liquidating its USD2.2 billion U.S. risk premia portfolio because of poor performance.

Options Selling Funds Stage Double Digit Turnaround In 2023

Jan 18, 2024

Investment funds that sell put or call options, often referred to as short volatility or defensive equity funds, saw a marked improvement in fortunes last year after an abysmal 2022. MandateConnect data from U.S. public plans show that funds run by Parametric and Neuberger Berman for major state and city pensions reported returns of between 9% and 14% through the end of the third quarter. That compares with losses of 8% to 12% in the same period of 2022.

Passive Equity Mandates Start Strong In 2024, But Active Searches Dominate

Jan 11, 2024

Several U.S. public plans have issued large mandates or searches for passive equity strategies in the last few months, but searches for active managers dominate equity requests for proposals, according to MandateConnect data.

Asset Allocation Reviews Cut Equity Positions At U.S. Plans

Dec 21, 2023

Among the largest U.S. public pension plans undergoing asset allocation reviews this year, nearly all cut their public equity position by between 200 and 1000 basis points, according to MandateConnect data.

U.S. Plans Find Trend Strategies Show Wide Performance Dispersion

Dec 14, 2023

The small number of U.S. public pensions that are testing dedicated allocations to trend strategies are struggling with manager dispersion. Gyrations in financial markets this year have affected different implementations of the strategy differently, leaving pensions uncertain about the outlook for their allocation.

Short Duration Among Most Popular Fixed Income Strategies In 2023

Dec 7, 2023

Several U.S. public plans searched for short-duration managers to diversify their fixed income portfolios this year, as the U.S. rate-hike cycle made the sub asset class more attractive. MandateConnect data show that as some higher-duration strategies and funds struggled in the changing rate environment this year, U.S. plans broadly responded by seeking to diversify their fixed income portfolios. Fixed income searches made up the bulk of all requests for proposals this year, as plans looked to offset over-allocations to illiquid private assets and make up for weak equity-market performance.