Sovereign wealth fund (SWF)
Kazakhstan’s integration of alternative assets into its reserves management
Resource-rich Kazakhstan has embraced alternatives through the creation of a new fund to drive returns and improve diversification of its foreign reserves. Yeszhan Birtanov reports
Norges Bank should make ethical investment decisions for SWF, say government advisers
Report sets out ways for pension fund to boost influence over responsible investments, aiming to increase long-run returns; recommends concentrating decision-making power at Norges Bank
People: Stanley Fischer joins US think-tank; Hungarian central bank official moves to EIB
Fischer takes post at US think-tank after leaving the Bank of Israel; László Baranyay joins the European Investment Bank; sovereign wealth fund managers on the move
Adia CFO bagged by Texas real estate company
Jim Hime leaves the Abu Dhabi SWF for USAA Real Estate on September 1 after serving three years as chief financial officer of its real estate and infrastructure department
Norwegian SWF far too exposed to OECD nations, report finds
NCA/Re-Define report calls for 20% of Norway's GPF foreign assets to be allocated to development finance, as Peterson Institute again gives fund top marks for transparency and accountability
Zoellick joins Temasek board under new chairman Lim Boon Heng
Singaporean sovereign fund appoints new chairman to take over from long-serving Dhanabalan; American political heavyweight joins as Temasek looks to establish a presence in the US
Norges Bank governor outlines Norwegian model for stability
Øystein Olsen tells Harvard audience of Norway's fiscal rule and inflation-targeting - but warns the system has yet to be seriously tested
Norway’s SWF sees large returns after ‘major strategic changes’
Annual report for 2012 reveals pension fund saw second-best performance since its creation; investments diversified away from Europe and into emerging markets
Booknotes: The New Economics of Sovereign Wealth Funds
This book is a brave and welcome contribution to the analysis of sovereign wealth funds.
Norway’s SWF buys US property for first time
East coast offices the latest purchase in pension fund’s real estate expansion; also reflects diversification away from European holdings
National Bank of Kazakhstan’s SWF seeks new fund managers
Central bank issues tenders for two managers to oversee portfolios worth $50-150 million each
CIC chair tells Davos central banks must ‘mop up' excess liquidity
Former member of PBoC's MPC says central banks have a responsibility to assuage inflation fears as economies return to growth; Bank of Italy governor says economic recovery is not central bank's job
Taming the finance monster
The best way to resolve global financial instability is for the owners of capital to assert themselves, with sovereign funds well positioned to take the lead, say Paul Woolley and Dimitri Vayanos
SWFs should take lead in demanding higher investing standards
Large long-term investors such as sovereign wealth funds should be spearheading efforts to hold investors to account over short-termism, according to finance experts at the LSE
Norway’s SWF eyes shift from European equities
Fund will maintain high equity share but diversify investments away from Europe; buys $1.1 billion of Swiss real estate from Credit Suisse
Norway’s SWF adds further $560m of property to portfolio
Government Pension Fund Global continues progress towards 5% of fund invested in real estate with purchase of 50% stake in UK’s Meadowhall shopping centre
Chile director presents results of fund management outsourcing
Divisional director at the Central Bank of Chile discusses changes to the management of pension reserve fund; responsibility given to external managers for first time
Norway’s SWF adds $340m of property to portfolio
Norwegian sovereign wealth fund buys stakes in French property worth $340 million; aims to expand real estate investments into other European markets
SNB’s Jordan rules out sovereign wealth fund creation
Thomas Jordan reaffirms commitment to currency peg; blasts idea of establishing a sovereign wealth fund with the SNB’s foreign currency holdings
A sovereign wealth case study from Ghana
Ghana decided to join the ranks of countries with a sovereign wealth fund after the country discovered oil in 2010. Efi Chalamish and Steve Opata describe how the fund operates
Norway set to shift investment strategy after poor SWF performance
Norway sovereign wealth fund to focus on emerging markets following third-worst performance in history last year
Nigeria needs more reserves and better inflation controls, says Fitch
Nigeria will need to further increase the size of its foreign exchange reserves and keep inflation in closer check if it wants to secure investment-grade status by 2020, says Fitch
African central bankers embrace a new world order
Africa’s central bankers are adopting new approaches to managing their reserves as trade with Brics rises and the influence of developed nations wanes