Canadian Investment Institute

Navigating the Economic Landscape: Insights and Trends

Understanding where the economy is and where it is headed is vital to your success in managing plan assets and planning for the future. This session will analyze key indicators shaping the global markets and offer valuable insights into current economic trends, potential risks and emerging opportunities, empowering your investment strategy for the year ahead.

Advanced Portfolio Construction

Investors need to continually enhance their portfolio construction methodologies to achieve optimal risk-adjusted returns. This session will offer insights into innovative approaches to asset allocation, risk management and portfolio optimization tailored to the unique needs and constraints of institutional investors. Topics discussed include:

• Traditional vs. nontraditional investments
• Plan health and demographics
• Planning for volatility
• Return assumptions and risk tolerance
• Negative cash flow.

Investing in Canadian Equities

Over the past few years, there has been a greater push for Canadian investors to re-shore their investments in Canadian companies. This session will look how pension plans have been responding and the pros and cons of investing in Canada, including:

• Historical returns
• Government response
• National economic impact
• Oil and gas
• Risks and rewards.

AI, Economies, Markets and Asset Management

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to have huge implications for countries and industries. This session will consider the consequences of AI and its impact on global financial markets, what this rapid technological growth also means to asset managers, and the opportunities and challenges they face when integrating these innovations into their investment practices. Topics also discussed include:

• Overview of which economies will likely benefit from AI innovation
• What is required for a country to benefit from AI
• The extent to which the investment management industry has embraced AI and technology in general.

Seizing Investment Opportunities: A Framework for Adapting to an Age of Agility

The world today looks very different from the world we experienced a decade ago. Inflation. Interest rates. Geopolitical risk. Technology. Resources. Climate. In each of these areas, the outlook has changed significantly. Learn how to plan to capture investment opportunities for years ahead. Key takeaways:

• Clearly articulate investment belief and decision-making processes
• Regime change, supercyles and megatrends—Explore the long-term forces that will have the potential to drive portfolios in the years to come.

Navigating a Changing Landscape in Emerging Markets

Emerging Markets (EM) stocks offer an exciting opportunity for value-oriented investors. Challenge myths surrounding EM investing and learn strategies to capitalize on this overlooked asset class. This session explores:

• The myths associated with EM investing
• Navigating risks of EM
• Opportunities available in EM stocks and currencies

Panel Discussion: Real Estate Reality Check—Navigating the Future of Real Estate Investments

In the face of rising leverage costs and skyrocketing development expenses, the once reliable returns on real estate investments have come under threat. This session will delve into the long-term prospects for this prevalent alternative asset class within pension portfolios. The expert panel will explore whether the prosperous era of real estate investments is truly over and whether investors need to reassess the risk/return profile of this asset class. The discussion will also address the potential necessity for a substantial reallocation of capital.

Not All Commercial Mortgages Are the Same: How to Build a Better Commercial Mortgage Portfolio

With changes to the commercial real estate market, driven by changes to demand patterns emerging after COVID, it is important for a commercial mortgage manager to focus on stable occupancy levels and resilient cash flow. Commercial mortgage portfolios remain an attractive way to enhance fixed income yields, providing that they apply strong diversification and underwriting principles. This session will cover:

Understanding commercial mortgages

Different types of commercial mortgages and their structure for investment purposes

Building a commercial mortgage portfolio

Comparison to other fixed income investments

Variable rate and fixed rate mortgage portfolios.

Investing in a Natural Resource to Add Long-Term Value to Your Portfolio

As pension plans look for new opportunities for investing, natural resources are an underrepresented area with strong potential to provide stable, long-term returns. Timber is a commodity with increasing demand and finite supply naturally constrained by the multidecade growing cycle, which presents a unique opportunity for investment. This session will cover:

The basics of timber investing and how to build a long-term sustainable portfolio

Positive portfolio benefits from timber

The diverse revenue opportunities it provides, including carbon credits

How timber funds can address the constrained supply and growing demand for lumber.

Real Assets Open Forum

Join the morning speakers and gain insights about real assets as they answer your questions.

Currency Strategies in the Storm: Unveiling the Power of Active Currency Investing Amidst Changing Markets and Extreme Weather Events

Active currency investing amidst evolving markets and extreme weather conditions is forcing many plans to revisit asset mix to meet plan objectives. This session will explore diversification opportunities, capital-efficient allocations and strategies for generating strong absolute returns. Additional topics include:

Leveraging higher yields for funded allocations

Implementing unfunded allocations with no upfront capital requirements

Analysis and impact of extreme weather on active currency portfolios

Importance of incorporating nonfinancial risk factors

Strategies for navigating changing market conditions and finding opportunities.

Decumulation World Tour: Learning From Different Retirement Markets

This session will be a musically inspired tour of the global decumulation landscape. Its set list will include how different countries approach decumulation, new research providing insight into plan sponsor and participant preferences, and how it all can tie into the vast Canadian retirement landscape both today and in the future.

From Growth to Value and Back Again—Exploring the Long-Term Equity Opportunity Set

The dynamic relationship between growth and value investing is important for the long-term success of your plan. This session will offer insights into navigating market cycles, identifying investment opportunities and constructing resilient portfolios. Topics include:

Exploring historical trends and cycles

The fundamental differences between growth and value investing philosophies

Strategies for navigating transitions between growth and value investing

Investment strategies that capitalize on shifts between growth and value

Importance of diversification and risk management.

From Insight to Action: Finding Opportunity in Private Equity Secondaries

Continued market volatility and lower expected returns from traditional asset classes have brought alternatives to the forefront of the investing landscape. In a search for greater diversification and higher returns, investors will continue to look toward private markets to help meet their objectives. Secondary strategies provide an opportunity to deliver against multi-employer pension funds’ unique needs with strong absolute returns in times of market stress. Join our session for a deeper look at the secondary market and how it has changed since the last financial crisis.

Multi-Sector Credit

With interest rates and credit spreads experiencing heightened volatility, investors are seeking stability, diversification and enhanced returns in their fixed income portfolios through multi-sector credit strategies. This presentation will focus on:

The opportunities in multi-sector credit investing

A reasonable range of expected returns a diversified portfolio can deliver over a cycle

Why multi-sector credit strategies can be well-suited to weather risks and capitalize on opportunities.