Steve Ladurantaye
Globe and Mail Update Published on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 8:51AM EST Last updated on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 11:07AM EST
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board saw assets increase by $7.2-billion in the second quarter, as stock markets rebounded off their lows set earlier this year.
“The continued strength in the public equity markets has been the major factor in the CPP Fund's increase of over $13-billion of investment income since March 31, 2009,” said chief executive officer David Denison. “We are pleased with the Fund's performance this quarter and year to date. At the same time, we remain focused on performance over the long term in line with our long investment horizon.”
The fund ended the quarter with $123.8-billion in assets, compared to $116.6-billion at the end of the first quarter. Investment income accounted for $5.4-billion, reflecting a 4.6-per-cent rate of return. Another $1.9-billion was added from CPP contributions that weren't needed to pay for current benefits.
Equities accounted for 55.8 per cent of the fund's holdings in the quarter. Public stock accounted for 44.6 per cent of that total, with a value of $55.3-billion. The private stock was worth $13.9-billion. Fixed income, including bonds, represented 30.7 per cent of the portfolio, or $38.1-billion.
Real estate accounted for 5.6 per cent, or $6.9-billion, while infrastructure investments amounted to 4.8 per cent, or $5.9-billion. The fund also held $3.8-billion in inflation-linked bonds, valued at $3.8-billion.
Mr. Denison said the fund was able to make a “number of significant public, private and real estate investments” in the quarter, including a $300-million investment in Internet-phone company Skype, which was spun off from eBay in September. It also launched a bid for logistics firm Livingston International Income Fund.
This quarter has started out even busier – CPPIB teamed with the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan last week to make a hostile $6.5-billion offer for Transurban Group, which has stakes in six highways in Australia and two U.S. roads. Transurban's board rejected the bid, but the two sides are now in talks. The pension funds own 25 per cent of Transurban.
Also last week, CPPIB joined with TPG Group, a $45-billion (U.S.) fund that owns a number of health care companies, in a $4-billion bid for IMS Health, which provides information services to the pharmaceutical industry.
“We expect these investments will be a strong source of investment income over the long term,” Mr. Denison said.
More to come
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