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A pedestrian carrying an umbrella walks along the River Thames in view of City of London skyline in London, Britain, July 31, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Australia's second-largest pension fund plans to open its first overseas office by mid-2024, its chief investment officer said on Friday, the latest retirement manager to look overseas as the country's pension sector outgrows the home market. The team will "almost certainly" be based in London and only be small because ART relies mostly on external managers, Patrick said, adding the office would likely open between now and mid-2024. A decision on a second overseas office would be made 12 to 24 months after the first opens. ART invests roughly two-thirds of all new money funds overseas.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Ian Patrick, Patrick, HarbourVest, Neuberger Berman, Lewis Jackson, Praveen Menon, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Stepstone, AustralianSuper, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, New York, China

Jamie Dimon, chairman of the board and chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co., speaks during the event Chase for Business The Experience - Miami hosted by JP Morgan Chase Bank for small business owners at The Wharf in Miami, Florida, U.S., February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello/File PhotoNEW YORK, Aug 9 (Reuters) - A federal judge has dismissed a shareholder lawsuit accusing JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) Chief Executive Jamie Dimon and his board of directors of ignoring red flags surrounding disgraced former client Jeffrey Epstein. The so-called derivative lawsuit sought to have the defendants or their insurers pay damages to JPMorgan, for the benefit of shareholders. Rakoff is also overseeing two Epstein-related lawsuits against JPMorgan by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the financier owned two neighboring islands, and by Epstein victims. Staley was also Barclays' (BARC.L) chief executive from 2015 to 2021.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, JP, Marco Bello, JPMorgan Chase, Jeffrey Epstein, Jed Rakoff, Rakoff, Epstein, Dimon, Jes Staley, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Leslie Adler Organizations: JPMorgan Chase &, Chase, Business The, Miami, JP Morgan Chase Bank, REUTERS, JPMorgan, Rakoff, U.S ., Barclays, Miami General Employees & Sanitation Employees, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Miami , Florida, U.S, Miami, Pittsburgh, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, U.S . Virgin, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

☆ Australia’s $2.5 trln pension stash is one to envy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Sure, mining giant BHP (BHP.AX) has its headquarters in Australia’s second-most populous city, it’s a self-anointed coffee capital and boasts top-notch restaurants. Two other factors have capital-hungry institutions knocking on super funds’ doors. This is especially true of so-called industry funds that are mutually owned and initially catered to specific sectors such as higher education employees or hospitality workers. Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria, has earmarked industry super funds as minority investors in a state-run plan to build renewable energy plants. Recent ructions in real estate have prompted some super funds to reassess whether the risk and complexity are justified.

Persons: dwarfing, AustralianSuper, California’s CalPERS, London’s, Paul Schroder, Hostplus, Anthony, Daniel Andrews, Breakingviews, outsized, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Australian Stock Exchange, Association, Retirement, Canada, Plan Investment Board, Prudential Regulation Authority, APRA, Coal, IFM, Vienna Airport, KPMG, Reuters Graphics, Australian, Trust, Macquarie, Victorian State Department of, UniSuper, Sydney Airport, Victoria, Blackstone, CVC, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Melbourne, Australia’s, it’s, Australia, Heathrow, Edinburgh, Europe, United States, Indiana, New York, London

☆ Private equity gears up for a deal fest Down Under
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

So it’s fitting that one of the country’s most hotly contested deals involving overseas private equity firms is for Rugby Australia. It’s also a teaser for the deal fest buyout shops are gearing up for Down Under. Another veteran, Blackstone (BX.N), has doubled its private equity headcount over the past couple of years. Reuters GraphicsWith $676 billion of private equity dry powder in the Asia-Pacific region, according to consultancy Bain & Co, regularly capturing a two-fifths share implies up to $270 billion of capital could be heading Down Under in the coming years. Australia, he said, was too small and too competitive for private equity firms to make money.

Persons: It’s, Blackstone, EQT, they’re, it’ll, there’s, Brian Hong, Robyn Mak, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Rugby Australia, CVC Capital Partners, Australian Financial, Down, Brookfield Asset Management, CVC, Nine Entertainment, AusNet Services, MidOcean Energy, Origin Energy, Retirement Trust, Consumer, Sydney Airport, Bain & Co, Reserve Bank of Australia, U.S . Federal Reserve, Macquarie Capital, Thomson Locations: Asia, Australia, China, People’s Republic, Asia Pacific, Pacific

Lawyers for Dimon, the bank's chief executive, and Staley, a former private banking and investment banking chief, urged a dismissal in filings late Thursday in Manhattan federal court. Lawyers for Dimon and the directors said there was no showing that either knowingly ignored red flags about Epstein, or that Dimon was involved in keeping Epstein as a client. The so-called derivative lawsuit seeks to have the defendants or their insurers pay damages to JPMorgan, benefiting shareholders. It is also defending against a lawsuit by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned two neighboring private islands. Staley has expressed regret for his friendship with Epstein and denied knowing about his sex trafficking.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, Jes Staley, Jeffrey Epstein, Staley, Epstein, Dimon, Jonathan Stempel, David Holmes Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan Chase's, Dimon, JPMorgan, Lawyers, U.S ., Barclays, Miami General Employees & Sanitation Employees, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Miami, Pittsburgh, U.S . Virgin Islands, New York, U.S, Southern District, Southern District of New York

SYDNEY, May 8 (Reuters) - Australia's 30 biggest pension funds increased their investments in key coal, oil and gas producers by 50% in 2022 despite the funds' long term commitments to net zero carbon emissions, environmental activist group Market Forces said. Superannuation or retirement funds raised their investment to more than A$34 billion ($23 billion) in companies most responsible for expanding fossil fuels, Market Forces said. Market Forces only named AustralianSuper, which it said had increased its stake in Woodside Energy Group Ltd (WDS.AX), Australia's top independent gas producer, by about 19 times in 2022. In an emailed response, AustralianSuper said it had raised its stake as gas was a key part of an "orderly energy transition" ahead. It estimated more than A$140 billion of Australians' retirement savings are invested in fossil fuel companies through the funds, which have more than 9% of members' share investments in these firms on average.

☆ Indigenous Australians file human rights complaint with pension funds over Santos gas projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 26 (Reuters) - A group of Indigenous Australians on Wednesday filed a human rights complaint against 20 large Australian pension funds for investing in Santos Ltd's (STO.AX) two gas projects, putting pressure on the funds over their fossil fuel investment plans. Three traditional landowners, in the complaint filed directly with the superannuation funds, alleged the funds had an "obligation to prevent adverse human rights impacts of companies in which they are invested". Commonwealth Super Corp, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super and AMP - the five largest pension funds - did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment. An appeal by Santos to resume drilling on its A$3.6 billion Barossa gas project off northern Australia was rejected by the federal court in December after indigenous groups raised objections. Santos then said it would apply for fresh approvals for its biggest project in line with the court's order.

☆ Column: The new US Social Security forecast: what it means for retirees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Mark Miller | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But if the headlines stemming from the annual report of the Social Security trustees jangled you, take a deep breath. The report, released on March 31, forecasts that the Social Security retirement trust fund reserves will be depleted in 2033. What does the new Social Security forecast mean for current and future retirees? But the trust fund also can accumulate balances when Social Security runs surpluses, as has been the case for the last several decades. A: Social Security collects FICA contributions only up to a certain level of wages - $160,200 this year.

☆ Australia's biggest pension funds not doing enough on climate, activist investor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Industry Insight | Reuters Professional | Food Brands Struggling To Weather The 'Polycrisis' Unleashed War | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, March 15 (Reuters) - Australia's five largest pension funds were not doing enough to push fossil fuel companies toward decarbonisation, activist investor group Market Forces said on Wednesday, arguing their environmental commitments could amount to greenwashing. The term 'greenwashing' describes exaggerated and misleading claims that suggest an entity are stewards of the environment without real action. Market Forces said in a new report AustralianSuper, Commonwealth Super Corp, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super and AMP, which cumulatively manage more than A$1 trillion ($668 billion) in savings, had failed to "demonstrate effective engagement strategies". Commonwealth Super Corp, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super and AMP did not immediately respond to a Reuters request seeking comment. Australia's corporate regulator has ramped up action against greenwashing, last month accusing pension fund Mercer Superannuation of misleading members about the sustainability of some of its investment options.

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