Read BPM's highlighted coverage of key topics from August
Every month, Benefits and Pensions Monitor will produce a series of articles on a theme affecting Canadian plan sponsors and institutional investors. For August, we explored Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) as an asset class. Pension funds are increasingly integrating ETFs into their investment strategies, increasing both operational efficiency and strategic flexibility in modern portfolio management as well as the low risk exposure.
ETFs gain ground as pension funds rethink implementation - Institutional investors and pension funds are deploying ETFs for liquidity, transitions, and portfolio completion, say ETF experts
ETF communication needs to go beyond product education: Global X - When it comes to communicating ETFs, plan sponsors must lead with portfolio outcomes and tailor the message to each audience
Active fixed income ETFs lead institutional ETF growth: CIBC - Institutional ETF adoption is accelerating in Canada, but DC plans and covered call strategies still face practical barriers to uptake
Record ETF flows mask true institutional conviction: experts - ETF leaders explain why record Canadian ETF flows may say more about vehicle preference and liquidity management than directional market bets
Co-creation of custom indices reshapes institutional ETFs: experts - FTSE Russell breaks down how pension plans evaluate index exposure and why bespoke benchmarks are replacing the catalogue approach
‘Enormous’ ETF capital is being spent in emerging markets: Eng - Emerging market ETF flows have already surpassed full-year 2025 totals, driven by AI infrastructure spending and a shift toward single-country allocations
