Table of content
Finnish investors polishing their hedge fund strategies
Experienced Finnish hedge fund investors are focusing on more niche strategies, increased due diligence, and fee negotiations as they refine their portfolios amid low-yield environments and regulatory challenges such as AIFMD.
Church of Sweden: the highs & lows of sustainable equities
Svenska kyrkan balances strong returns from long-term sustainable investments, including Generation Investment Management’s global equity fund, with challenges in domestic ESG manager performance; they also emphasize active dialogue and product development in sustainability.
Bjarne Graven Larsen sets up alternative risk premia boutique
Former CIO of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and ATP Bjarne Graven Larsen launched Qblue Capital, a Copenhagen-based boutique focused on alternative risk premia strategies that emphasize low equity correlation, transparency, and risk management.
Interview with AP1’s CEO Johan Magnusson
Magnusson discusses navigating regulatory changes, ESG integration challenges, clarifying investment narratives internally and externally, and cautious asset allocation amid uncertain market outlooks and evolving sustainability mandates.
Tougher times in finding good hedge fund opportunities
Finnish investors report difficulty in sourcing attractive hedge fund opportunities, especially in crowded markets, leading to increased travel, stronger fee scrutiny, and a pivot towards less conventional regions and strategies, including Asia and macro funds.
A step closer in solving the ESG dilemma for passive EMs
AP1 advances its emerging market equity manager tender with ESG integration as a key criterion and seeks innovative passive solutions that balance systematic exposure and sustainability, while emphasizing manager engagement and long-term partnerships.
Making manager searches public
Nordea’s Anders Bertramsen explores the benefits and drawbacks of publicly announcing manager searches via LinkedIn to enhance transparency, gain diverse input, and improve access to niche strategies like ESG-focused US direct lending.
Assessing cyber security risk
Investors and companies recognize escalating cyber risks but struggle with inadequate data and board-level understanding; improved disclosure practices and investor pressure are needed to strengthen corporate cyber resilience.
Alternative risk premia: portfolio construction considerations
Wellington Management outlines four key pillars—manufacturing premia internally, broad diversification, strategic exposure blending, and robust risk management—to improve risk premia returns and resilience in Nordic portfolios.
Facilitating lower fees in private markets
Kasper Struve launches Unified Investors to help pension funds collaborate on scale to negotiate better fees and access co-investment opportunities, addressing market fragmentation and investment process inefficiencies in private markets.
New investment rules and strategic focus at Sweden’s AP funds
Despite new regulations allowing increased illiquid investments, AP1 maintains cautious allocations, concentrating on responsible investment practices and collaboration with peers while awaiting further legislative updates and improved mandates.
Danske Bank Asset Management: accelerating change & rebuilding trust
Leadership highlights efforts to rationalize products, intensify ESG integration with organizational support, and restore client trust amid bank scandals, alongside expansion focus on Sweden and alternative investment development.
The highs and lows of sustainable equities at Svenska kyrkan
Svenska kyrkan experiences strong returns in global sustainable equities but challenges in domestic ESG portfolios, complements with microfinance and alternative impact investments, and actively participates in sustainable product initia- tives.
Impatient wait for regulatory clarity at SPK
SPK’s CEO discusses balancing operational readiness with uncertain regulatory timelines, planned strategic reassessment, and adapting to potential new capital requirements and legal frameworks within Sweden’s occupational pension industry.
New ESG tax screening strategy at Danish pension company Pensam
CEO Torsten Fels details Pensam’s initiative to exclude companies with unfair tax practices, emphasizing ESG integration as a driver for long-term value creation and advocating for coordinated investor action to influence corporate tax fairness globally.
Up-Close and Personal: Mika Leskinen, FIM/S-Bank Wealth Management
Mika Leskinen describes his transition from equity trader to ESG integration pioneer and newly appointed CIO, highlighting his passion for sport, focus on disciplined decision-making, and commitment to integrating sustainable invest- ment at the core of portfolio management.
Financial Markets History: Oslo Børs celebrating 200 years
The Norwegian stock exchange marks two centuries with a journey from a modest 19th-century commodity price venue to a modern, fully electronic exchange, shaped by economic wars, technological innovation, and expanding global capital markets integration.