Desmarais Faculty Scholar Awards reward leading finance research
First awarded in 2007 and generously supported by Paul Desmarais, Jr., the聽Desmarais Faculty Scholar Awards are given in three year cycles to leading聽Desautels finance researchers.
Putting QE in the rearview mirror
With the winding down of Canadian quantitative easing policies, announced recently by the Bank of Canada鈥檚 Governor Tiff Macklem, Professor Sebastien Betermier comments on the effects of rising bond yields on pension plans. Yields across the Canadian economy currently remain at historically low levels due to inflation and supply shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Sujata Madan Award recognizes community-minded students
Eleven Desautels alumni have banded together to establish a new student award in honor of Professor of Practice Sujata Madan. Rather than being based on academic merit, the scholarship will be awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding collaboration, empathy, kindness, and respect toward their peers and wider communities.
Delve: A Digital Currency for the Public by the Public
Could a Central Bank Digital Currency ensure privacy and transparency for every transaction? A new model of digital currency by Desautels Professor Katrin Tinn proposes a secure yet anonymous 鈥渁symmetric privacy鈥� alternative to cash, traditional bank transactions, and cryptocurrency. 鈥淎 public institution is in a better position to design a digital currency that has the correct incentives,鈥� says Tinn.聽
Professor Betermier鈥檚 paper awarded by NFA
Congratulations to Sebastien Betermier,聽Associate Professor of Finance, whose paper聽鈥淲hat Do the Portfolios of Individual Investors Reveal About the Cross-Section of Equity Returns鈥� is the Winner of Best Paper in Asset Pricing and Market Microstructure at the 2021 Northern Finance Association (NFA) Meeting.
Digital currency a solution to dwindling cash transactions?
Over the last ten years, cash payments have been in a free fall and experts predict that by 2030, they could make up for just 10% of monetary transactions.
Reaching for yield or resiliency? Explaining the shift in Canadian pension plan portfolios
Authors: S茅bastien Betermier, Nicholas Byrne, Jean-S茅bastien Fontaine, Hayden Ford, Jason Ho, Chelsea Mitchell
Publication: Bank of Canada,聽Staff Analytical Note 2021-20, August 2021
Going green in the concrete jungle
Professor Sebastien Betermier and his co-researchers published a paper on financial and environmental solutions for sustainable urban development. Canadian pension funds are doing something right, and they outline strategies for other funds and investors to follow suit.
Professor of Practice Sujata Madan Receives Prestigious Academy of Finance Excellence in Teaching Award
The Desautels Faculty of Management is pleased to announce that Professor of Practice Sujata Madan is the recipient of the 2021 Academy of Finance Excellence in Teaching Award. This prestigious award is given annually to recognize excellence in teaching, to encourage teachers to share experiences that have led to them becoming great educators and how they continue to improve their teaching skills.
The rise of passive fund investments
Professor Laurent Barras joins the hosts of RikaTillsammans, a Swedish podcast and video series that provides followers with weekly financial insights. In this episode, Professor Barras discusses his research on the correlation between manager performance and fund performance. Whether a fund is actively or passively managed, its success does not necessarily reflect the skill of the manager, he finds.
Taking a deep dive into pension plans
In a Q&A for the Montreal Gazette, Professor Sebastien Betermier takes a closer look at the terms and metrics related to the funding status of a pension plan. The growth rates and termination costs of a fund, he emphasizes in the piece, largely depend on the type and risk level of assets owned.
Canada emerges as a leader in green bonds
Canadian retirement pensions are shaping up to be global leaders in issuing green bonds, or funds designated for environmental initiatives. Professor Sebastien Betermier views Canada鈥檚 commitment to sustainability as an advantage over other countries in growing both pensions and sustainability projects in the long term.
A new act for Cirque du Soleil
At the end of 2020, a creditor consortium led by Catalyst Capital became the new owner of Cirque du Soleil only months after the famed circus producer made a failed bid for bankruptcy protection. While Catalyst Capital has been plagued by controversy in the past, according to a new investigative article from La Presse, it offered a way out for a company that has endured a catastrophic year.
Predicting the future of digital currency
A recent survey found that Canada has the most cashless economy in the world, with most consumers using the credit card system. Professor Katrin Tinn joined CTV News Montreal to share her insights on the potential for the Bank of Canada to approve other forms of digital currencies, such as Bitcoin.
The pros and cons of digital currency
Professor Katrin Tinn weighs in on the ongoing debate about the sustainability of digital currency in Canada. In her view, consumers would benefit from a more up-to-date understanding of their spending habits, and the lending process could be streamlined. But the picture isn鈥檛 entirely rosy. Adopting digital currencies presents an inevitable security risk.
