Glossary
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New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001: This Act defines current entitlements to New Zealand Superannuation; establishes the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (Fund) with sufficient resources to meet the present and future costs of New Zealand Superannuation; provides for Crown contributions to the Fund; establishes a Crown entity to manage and administer the Fund called the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation (Guardians); establishes a process for signalling political agreement on parameters for New Zealand Superannuation entitlements and fundings; and brings together in one Act all of the provisions for ech of those matters. Crown entity: A type of organisation that forms part of New Zealand's state sector, which is managed consistent with the requirements of the Crown Entities Act 2004. Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation (Guardians): An autonomous Crown entity which manages, administers, and invests the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (established under the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001). Board of the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation (Board): A body responsible for setting the investment policies of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and for overseeing its operations. The Board must consist of at least five, but no more than seven members appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendations of the Minister of Finance (established under the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001). New Zealand Superannuation (Fund): A Crown-owned fund financed by capital contributions from the Crown, to assist future Governments to meet the cost of providing retirement income to New Zealanders (established under the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001). |
This glossary of terms relates to the Guardians' organisation, to the investment strategies, activities, and performance of the Fund specifically, and to investing generally.
A B C D E F G H I L M O P R S T U V W Y
Absolute Return
The actual return, in dollar or percentage terms, generated by a portfolio during a specific period.
Active Management
An investing strategy that seeks returns in excess of a specified benchmark.
Active Return
Return relative to a benchmark. If a portfolio's return is 5%, and the benchmark's return is 3%, then the portfolio's active return is 2%.
Active Risk
The risk (annualised standard deviation) of the active return. Also called the tracking error.
Alpha
That part of a portfolio's return not explained by market factors. Alpha is the result of manager skill applied through active management.
Annualised Rate of Return
A rate of return expressed over one year, although the actual rates of return being annualised are for periods longer or shorter than one year.
Asset Classes
Categories of assets, such as shares, bonds, real estate.
Asset Mix
The proportion of assets held in the portfolio in percentage terms.
Assets
Anything owned that has value and is measurable in terms of money.
Basic Risk
Risk caused by a deviation in the price spread between two related instruments or markets.
Basis Point
One-hundredth of one percent. The difference between 5.25 per cent and 5.50 per cent is 25 basis points.
Benchmark
A standard against which the performance of a security, index, or investor can be measured.
Beta
A measure of a security's or portfolio's volatility, or systematic risk, in comparison to the market as a whole.
Bond
A debt investment with which the investor loans money to an entity (company or government) that borrows the funds for a defined period of time at a specified interest rate.
Commodities
Tangible products, such as metals, crude oil or grain.
Counterparty
An opposing institution with whom a transaction is made.
Credit Migration
It occurs when an entity's credit rating changes.
Custodian
An independent organisation entrusted with holding investments and settling transactions on behalf of the owner. The custodian maintains the financial records for the investments and may perform other services (such as performance measurement, mandate compliance etc) for the owner as well.
Delta
Sensitivity of the option value to changes in the value of the underlying asset or liability.
Derivative Exposure
Effective proportion of an entity's investment portfolio that is invested in derivatives taking into account the effective exposure of the derivative.
Derivatives
Financial contracts that derive their value from an underlying asset or index, such as an interest rate or foreign currency exchange rate. They can be used to manage risk, reduce cost and enhance returns. Some common derivatives are forwards, futures, swaps and options.
Diversification
Investing in a variety of assets or through a number of managers in order to spread risk.
Effective Exposure
An exposure to the underlying asset or liability that arises from holding the derivative. For futures and forward contracts, the effective exposure is the value of the underlying asset or liability at current market rates. For options contracts, the effective exposure is the value of the underlying asset or liability at current market rates. For options contracts, determination of the effective exposure takes account of the delta of the option.
Environmental Issues
Issues relating to the natural environment including resource use, pollution, climate change, energy use, ecology and nature conservation that affect or are affected by companies and their operations.
Equities
Securities that signify ownership in a corporation and represents a claim on part of the corporation's assets and earnings.
Fixed Interest Securities
Fixed interest securities generate a predictable stream of interest, and include bonds, bank bills, floating rate notes and negotiable certificates of deposit.
Forwards
Legally binding non-standardised agreements to buy or sell a commodity, currency or security at a fixed time in the future, at a price agreed upon today.
Fund Manager (a.k.a Asset Manager)
Invests and manages the assets of others.
Futures
Legally binding standardised agreements to buy or sell a commodity, currency or security at a fixed time in the future, at a price agreed upon today (i.e. similar to a forward contract).
Governance Issues
Issues relating to corporate governance or business ethics relevant to companies and their shareholders, boards, managers and employees.
Hedge or Hedging
A strategy designed to reduce the risk of loss caused by fluctuations in, for example, security prices, interest rates, and foreign currency exchange rates.
Hedge Fund
An investment fund that attempts to generate active returns by employing long-short strategies and/or leverage.
Hurdle Rate
A rate of return above which an investment makes sense and below which it does not. Also called required rate of return.
Index
A measure of performance of a collection of assets typically across a sector, country, region or style (e.g. Dow Jones, MSCI)
Index Fund
A portfolio of investments that are weighted the same as a stock-exchange index in order to mirror its performance. This process is also referred to as indexing.
Information Ratio
An excess of a portfolio's return over its benchmark index return, divided by the tracking error.
Investment
An asset or item that is purchased with the hope it will generate income or appreciate in the future.
Investment horizon
The period of time over which money is to be invested (e.g. 1 year, 20 years)
Leverage
It occurs when the value of the obligation exceeds the value of the underlying assets supporting the obligation.
Long (or Long Position)
The buying of a security such as a stock, commodity or currency, with the expectation that the asset will rise in value.
Long Short
A portfolio construction model that can hold a negative (short) position in a stock as well as a long position.
Management Fee
A fee that the manager of a fund charges for managing the portfolio and operating the fund.
Mark-to-Market
The revaluation of an instrument to current market prices.
Market Neutral
An investing strategy relying purely on alpha and that is not influenced by the direction of the market as a whole.
Master Agreement
An agreement covering the terms of several transactions.
Options
Provide holders with the right but not the obligation to buy or sell a commodity, currency, security or futures contract.
Out-performance
Excess performance above the benchmark or above the targeted return.
Over-the-counter (OTC)
Refers to derivatives not listed on any recognised exchange. OTC agreements (e.g. between counterparties) have terms tailored to a counterparty's needs and may specify commodities, instruments and/or maturities that are not offered on any exchange. OTC derivatives include swaps, forwards and options, which are based upon interest rates, currencies, equities, indices or commodities.
Passive Management
An investing strategy that mirrors a market index and does not attempt to beat the market. Also known as "passive strategy" or "passive investing."
Physical Exposure
The proportion of an entity's investment portfolio which is invested in cash market instruments, as distinct from derivative instruments.
Pooled Vehicles
Any vehicle representing the collective interests of multiple investors.
Portfolio
A group of investments, such as shares and bonds held by an investor.
Proxy
A formal document signed by a shareholder to authorize another shareholder, or commonly the company's management, to vote the holder's shares at the annual meeting.
Private Equity
When equity capital is made available to companies or investors, but not quoted on a stock market. The funds raised through private equity can be used to develop new products and technologies, to expand working capital, to make acquisitions, or to strengthen a company's balance sheet.
Private Market
A market where capital is raised by specific agreement between investors. The terms of each transaction are negotiated separately, and usually remain private and are not disclosed to third parties. These markets tend to transact infrequently, so prices are not readily observable. Private markets can encompass collective vehicles, inlcuding both open- and closed-end funds, as well as directly owned investments. Almost all private equity falls under this definition, but private markets also includes many investments in other areas, such as real estate, infrastructure, and timber.
Proxy
A formal document signed by a shareholder to authorise another shareholder, or commonly the company's management, to vote the holder's shares at the annual meeting.
Public Market
Any financial market, open to most or all investors, where securities or related derivatives are traded. This would include, for example, any recognised stock exchange, most bond, currency, and future markets. It will also extend to over-the-counter markets where related derivative products are transacted. Public markets usually include a governing body, prescribed rules, regulations, and form in which transactions are conducted.
Recognised Exchanges
Any stock or futures exchange recognised by professional investors.
Responsible Investment
The integration of environmental, social, and governance considerations into investment management processes and ownership practices.
Return
The gain or loss on an investment in a particular period, consisting of income (such as interest, dividends or rent), plus capital gains or capital losses. The return is usually expressed as a percentage.
Risk
The chance of something happening that will have an impact upon objectives. Risk can have both positive (upside risk) and negative (downside risk) consequences. For investments it is the chance that an investment's actual return will be different than expected - both higher or lower than expected.
Risk Adjusted Return
A measure of investment return adjusted to reflect the risk that was assumed.
Risk Budget
The allocation between different types of risk.
Risk Management
The culture, processes and structures that are directed towards realising potential opportunities, whilst managing adverse effects.
Risk Tolerance
The amount of loss an organisation is willing or able tolerate should a downside risk materialise.
Segregated Portfolio
A portfolio where the investment manager holds securities separate from those of its other clients.
Shareholder
Any person, company, or other institution that owns at least 1 share in a company. A shareholder may also be referred to as a stockholder.
Short (or Short Position)
The selling of a borrowed security, commodity or currency, with the expectation that the asset will fall in value.
Social Issues
Referring to community, human rights, consumer, societal, employee and labour issues that affect or are affected by companies and their operations.
Socially Responsible Investing
An investment process that uses screens to select or avoid investing in certain companies or industries to reflect religious, economic, political, social or personal priorities.
Stocks
A type of security that signifies ownership in a corporation and represents a claim on part of the corporation's assets and earnings. Also known as shares, or equity.
Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA)
The division of assets within an investment portfolio with regards to the long term view of the risk and return profile of those asset classes, and how to best achieve the portfolio's long term objectives.
Strategic Tilting
Altering asset allocation weights as expected returns change over time.
Style Biases
Represent differing philosophical approaches of investment managers.
Swaps
Agreements between counterparties to exchange (swap) cash flows of their respective notional obligations so as to manage cash flows more effectively.
Tracking Error
Annualised standard deviation of the monthly differences between the return on the portfolio and the return on the benchmark.
Underlying Asset
The instrument on which the derivative contract is linked to or derived from.
Voting Right
The right of a stockholder to vote on matters of corporate policy as well as on who is to compose the board of directors.
Warrants
Long-dated options that give shareholders the right to purchase further shares.
Yield
The annual rate of return on an investment expressed as a percentage.
