Weekend Giant Reading, August 16 — 17, 2014

Here’s some news for the floaty chair.

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Jay G. Baris

Here’s some news for the floaty chair:

- This won’t end well: “A large California pension manager is using complex derivatives to supercharge its bets” to fill its funding gap. Bad idea jeans.

- Revolving Door: The new executive director of the troubled $30 billion South Carolina Retirement System just quit. She was only two months in!

- Governance: Tanzania is forming a special government unit to monitor resource revenues. It will also audit the country’s new SWF.

- Temasek: “We are very interested in Africa, it is a new market for us”.

- Fee Machine: Why are SWFs fascinating? Because they can single handedly put the Wall St. fee machine in reverse. Big props to CIC on this.

- Diversification: Timor-Leste continues to diversify the nearly $17 billion it has in its SWF; 40% is now in equities.

- Geopolitics: Finland’s €34 billion pension mutual, Ilmarinen, is worried about the impact on Finnish companies from Russian sanctions.

- Infrastructure: Nigeria’s NSIA is ready to wire its first installment to begin construction of the new River Niger Bridge? Do it!

- Diaspora Wealth Fund: Rwanda’s unique Agaciro Development Fund has raised $43 million from the country’s diaspora since inception in 2012.

- Difficulties: The Malaysian SDF, Khazanah, will buy out minority shareholders of Malaysia Airlines.

- Real Estate: Norway’s SWF sent some of its investors down to the famed Savile Row to buy... it.

- Markets: CalPERS appears set to call “top” to the markets; it’s repositioning for downturn.

- Deals: The CIC’s close relationship with Ireland’s SWF seems to be bearing fruit; It’s set to make a massive aviation investment there.

- AUM: The Alaska Permanent Fund now has more than 50 billion dollars.

Have a great weekend!

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