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Latest Investment news
Lack of opportunities still an issue in private markets, says TPR
Stakeholders surveyed by the regulator identified a lack of investable UK opportunities with the right characteristics as a critical barrier to delivering the ambitions of the Mansion House Accord.
Pension schemes seek to tell the ‘stories’ behind infrastructure investing
More than four in five (82%) investors want to know more about how their pension was invested in infrastructure, according to research commissioned by Nest, Border to Coast, and IFM Investors.
XPS urges fiduciary manager reviews as more DB schemes consider run-on
Improved funding levels and changing DB endgames are altering what schemes need from their fiduciary managers, according to XPS Group.
Investment latest: USS acquires rail company; Insight nets £1bn mandate
USS has agreed to take over a rail freight company, while Insight is to help facilitate surplus sharing through a £1bn mandate with an unnamed DB pension scheme.
Government criticised over plans to allow online-only shareholder meetings
Attending shareholder meetings in person is “a vital shareholder right”, says the Governance for Growth Investor Campaign, arguing against allowing companies to host “virtual AGMs”.
DB running costs up by a third – and size is no protection, data shows
Data from TPT Retirement Solutions shows legal, admin, governance, and data-related fees are among the drivers of year-on-year increases – and size is no protection against rising costs.
Geopolitical risk a key reason behind DB sponsor weakness, research shows
Military action by the US and Israel across the Middle East region has contributed to multiple profit warnings issued by listed companies with DB pension schemes, new data indicates.
Private markets latest
Lack of opportunities still an issue in private markets, says TPR
Stakeholders surveyed by the regulator identified a lack of investable UK opportunities with the right characteristics as a critical barrier to delivering the ambitions of the Mansion House Accord.
Railpen: The UK has the ideas, now it has the capital to back UK scale-up businesses
Railpen’s Anna Rule explains how the industry-wide pension scheme and other institutions plan to invest in UK scale-up businesses following the announcement of a dedicated fund backed by the British Business Bank.
Climate, liquidity, AI: What investment committees should be thinking about
With two-thirds of 2026 behind us, Pensions Expert asks investment consultants for the key risks and opportunities that should be on trustees’ agendas going into the autumn.
Buying British: Railpen, Nest, LGPS pools exploring UK ‘scale up’ fund
Leading investment institutions are in talks with the British Business Bank and the Office for Investment about the creation of a £1bn fund to drive investment into domestic companies seeking scale-up capital.
ESG and sustainability
Climate, liquidity, AI: What investment committees should be thinking about
With two-thirds of 2026 behind us, Pensions Expert asks investment consultants for the key risks and opportunities that should be on trustees’ agendas going into the autumn.
Brunel’s Faith Ward joins LPPI as strategic adviser
She has also launched ‘Faith In RI’, a consultancy service that is also seeking to preserve Brunel’s work on climate and sustainable investment.
Trustees and consultants to collaborate on sustainability issues
The Investment Consultants Sustainability Working Group and the Trustee Sustainability Working Group have pledged to work together on shared sustainability challenges.
Railpen: Focused engagement strategies key to stewardship success
At a recent industry conference, Matt Lomas from the industry-wide pension scheme set out how his team has adapted and honed its stewardship and engagement activities.
Nest backs climate tech through £200m commitment to IFM mandate
The UK master trust has put more money to work through its partnership with IFM Investors, seeding an infrastructure credit fund with a focus on climate technologies.
Actuaries warn biodiversity loss is a systemic financial risk
A new IFoA and Anglia Ruskin University report says nature loss and climate shocks are threatening food security, inflation and long-term financial stability.
Artificial intelligence news
Employers keen to embrace AI to support member comms
WTW’s latest UK DC Pensions and Savings Survey found that 80% of employers believe AI will “fundamentally change” communications and engagement around pensions and retirement.
Are AI tools fuelling an emerging pension complaints risk?
Generative AI can turn member dissatisfaction into a detailed complaint within minutes. Trustees should respond by strengthening the support provided before retirement decisions are made, writes Guiide’s Philip Hodges.
How is AI being used across pension schemes’ supply chains?
Pension schemes need a clearer picture of where artificial intelligence is being used across their operations and supply chains as adoption accelerates, according to technology firm Penfold.
Consultants news
Special report: Which companies are driving bulk annuity activity?
Pensions Expert analysis shows which law firms, professional trustees and consultants are most active in the bulk annuity market.
Trustees and consultants to collaborate on sustainability issues
The Investment Consultants Sustainability Working Group and the Trustee Sustainability Working Group have pledged to work together on shared sustainability challenges.
Sustainability and climate expectations rising for investment consultants
The Investment Consultants Sustainability Working Group (ICSWG) has found that climate-related advisory capabilities, which were once viewed as aspirational, are now considered standard practice across the investment consulting industry.