The Eighth Public Investors Conference 2020 | Bank of Canada | 30 November 2020 | TBA, Ottawa, Canada

Eighth Public Investors Conference will aim to explore a variety of relevant issues, with particular emphasis on the following:

• New methodologies for capital market assumptions (expected risks, returns and correlations) for relevant asset classes
What are the appropriate models and risk factors to account for the shifting behaviour of asset returns under different economic regimes? Are there models that may help us assess the prolonged effects of unconventional monetary policy? Are there additional factors to be incorporated, such as those relating to fiscal policy or the regulatory environment? Will the move from interbank offered rate to overnight risk-free interest rate benchmarks impact public investors’ assessment of returns?

• Robust asset allocation models for public investors
How can portfolio construction and risk management models incorporate shifts in economic or financial regimes? How can public investors, including central banks, incorporate prospective liability considerations into strategic asset allocation?

• Advances in funding and liability modelling
How may discount rate models address the lower interest rate environment and the uncertainty surrounding the future path of interest rates? What steps have public pension plans and sovereign wealth funds taken to address ongoing demographic trends?

• Integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the investment process
How to assess the impact of sustainability considerations into the expected returns and risks of an asset? How can risk management – at the enterprise and portfolio levels – be enhanced to incorporate environmental, social and governance factors?

• Emerging technologies, including risk factors, and their application to portfolio construction as well as investment and risk management
How can new technologies, such as advances in learning algorithms and artificial intelligence, be applied to portfolio construction, risk management and other areas of relevance to public investors?