PSP Investments | Pension360

Kolivakis: 5 Reasons Behind Canada Pensions’ Real Estate Binge

Canadian companies and pension funds collectively invested $2.75 billion in commercial U.S. real estate in the first month of 2015.

In 2014, that number was a hefty $9.7 billion. What’s behind the binge? Leo Kolivakis of Pension Pulse gives 5 reasons why Canada’s pensions are snapping up real estate in the U.S., and elsewhere.

_______________________________

By Leo Kolivakis, Pension Pulse

Why are they doing this? There are a few reasons. First, real estate has long been heralded as the best asset class among Canada’s large public pension funds which are increasingly shifting assets away from volatile public markets into private markets, especially real estate and infrastructure which offer more predictable yields over the long-run.

Second, Canada’s large pension funds aren’t dumb. They read this blog and many other market sources and I’m sure the most savvy of them agree with me, Canada’s crisis is just beginning. This is why they’re scrambling to snap up as much U.S. and European real estate even though the loonie keeps declining. They know it will fall further but they also know there are better opportunities outside of Canada at this time given their long investment horizon.

Third, some of Canada’s large public pension funds, like bcIMC, are much more exposed to Canada’s commercial real estate market than others. bcIMC recently announced it agreed to sell Delta Hotels and Resorts to Marriott International for $168 million, but it has a lot more work to properly diversify its real estate holdings outside of Canada.

Fourth, in my opinion the Caisse’s real estate division, Ivanhoé Cambridge, is by far the best real estate investment management outfit in Canada. There are excellent teams elsewhere too, like PSP Investments, but Ivanhoe has done a tremendous job investing directly in real estate and they have been very selective, even in the United States where they really scrutinize their deals carefully and aren’t shy of walking away if the deal is too pricey.

Fifth, I don’t see interest rates rising anytime soon. In fact, I see central banks pumping a lot more liquidity into the global financial system. And as I recently explained, I’m not in the camp that the Fed will raise rates in 2015 and risk making a monumental mistake.

Having said all this, the rush into real estate and other illiquid alternatives worries me. Why? Because I’m increasingly worried about global deflation and the long-term effects it will have on all investments, especially illiquid private markets.

Don’t get me wrong, done properly, real estate, infrastructure and private equity are great asset classes. But as global pension funds and sovereign wealth funds topple over each other to find deals, they are significantly bidding up prices, lowering prospective returns on all private market investments, and this will really hurt them if a prolonged period of deflation sets in.

A long time ago I wrote a comment asking whether pensions are taking too much illiquidity risk. I think you should all read that comment again and keep it mind as you plow into U.S. and global real estate. Sure, pensions should take the long, long view, but they also need to be acutely aware of price entry and how a prolonged period of debt deflation impacts all their investments, especially private market investments.

Photo credit: “Canada blank map” by Lokal_Profil image cut to remove USA by Paul Robinson – Vector map BlankMap-USA-states-Canada-provinces.svg.Modified by Lokal_Profil. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canada_blank_map.svg#mediaviewer/File:Canada_blank_map.svg

Canada Pensions Team With Spanish Bank on Energy Investment

Two Canadian pension funds – the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board – have teamed up with Spanish bank Banco Santandar S.A. to manage a $2 billion portfolio of renewable energy assets.

From the Financial Post:

Santandar, which already owned the portfolio, will transfer it to a new company owned equally by the bank, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments).

The portfolio includes wind, solar and water infrastructure assets that are either operating or in development in seven countries.

The three partners said in a statement Monday they intend to make significant investments in the new company over the next five years.

“This investment fits well with our strategy of deploying capital in sizeable opportunities that offer long term revenues and growth potential along with solid partners,” said Bruno Guilmette, senior vice-president of infrastructure investments at PSP Investments.

Teachers’ investment was led by its infrastructure group, which manages a global portfolio of $11.7-billion of direct infrastructure investments, including water and wastewater, electricity distribution, gas distribution, airports, power generation, high-speed rail and port facilities.

Pending regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2015.

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan manages $138.9 billion in assets. The Public Sector Pension Investment Board manages $94 billion in assets.

Canada Pension Funds Invest $700 Million in XPO Logistics

Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan have joined together with one other firm (GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund) to invest a combined $700 million in XPO Logistics, a transportation logistics firm.

More details from Market Watch:

The transaction, which is complete and scheduled to settle on September 17, 2014, provides for the sale of newly issued common stock and preferred stock to the Investors. Upon approval by the company’s shareholders, the preferred stock will be converted into common stock and the Investors will hold approximately 22% of XPO’s common stock on a fully diluted basis. The $30.66 price per share of common stock issuable to the Investors represents a 5% discount to the trailing 20-day volume weighted average price. Bradley Jacobs and Jacobs Private Equity, LLC intend to vote in favor of the stock issuance. Jacobs Private Equity, LLC will remain the company’s largest shareholder.

Bradley Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of XPO Logistics, said, “We’re delighted to welcome PSP Investments, GIC and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan as significant shareholders in XPO. This strategic investment by three blue chip institutions is a strong endorsement of our plan for value creation. With the benefit of $700 million of additional equity to accelerate our growth, we can capitalize on an acquisition pipeline that’s livelier than expected. We’re now targeting approximately $9 billion of revenue and $575 million of EBITDA for 2017.”

The vice-presidents of PSP and the OTPP both released statement regarding the investment. From Market Watch:

Daniel Garant, senior vice-president, public markets for PSP Investments, said, “We are pleased to become a meaningful shareholder of XPO and support its board and management as it pursues its growth strategy. This investment in XPO is consistent with our Value Opportunities Portfolio’s mandate, which includes making strategic investments in publicly-listed companies that we believe have the capability of generating above average risk-adjusted returns over time and where PSP Investments can leverage its permanent and growing capital base over a long-term investment horizon.”

[…]

Michael Wissell, senior vice-president, public equities for Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, said, “Teachers’ believes in partnering with world-class entrepreneurs. We are pleased to invest alongside Brad Jacobs and his team. Their plans for XPO align with our approach to long-term value creation.”

The OTPP is the largest single-profession retirement fund in Canada and manages over $140 billion in assets.

PSP Investments manages $93 billion of assets.