Victorian industry super fund VicSuper has given a $100 million mandate to global fixed interest manager Payden and Rygel (P&R) to manage an absolute return investment portfolio.
It is the second mandate awarded to Payden and Rygel after an initial $110 million mandate in 2012.
The mandate will be part of the fund's alternatives strategy.
VicSuper's chief investment officer Oscar Fabian said the portfolio is a combination of ideas from P&R's underlying specialist sector teams.
"The debt portion of our fund continues to perform well. We believe however, that the current economic conditions will inevitably lead the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates," Fabian said.
"The introduction of this new mandate with its shorter duration ensures that our fund is well positioned when they do."
The P&R absolute return strategy is looking at gross returns of 2.5 per cent above the three month AFMA Bank Bill Swap Rate over the medium term through a wide range of global fixed interest investments and active management of portfolio duration.
The 2012 mandate, which currently stands at over $300 million, was to manage a portfolio of diversified global fixed interest assets comprising a mix of investment grade bonds, high yield and emerging market debt.
The super fund announced that Gregory has been appointed to its executive leadership team, taking on the fresh role of chief advice officer.
The deputy governor has warned that, as super funds’ overseas assets grow and liquidity risks rise, they will need to expand their FX hedge books to manage currency exposure effectively.
Super funds have built on early financial year momentum, as growth funds deliver strong results driven by equities and resilient bonds.
The super fund has announced that Mark Rider will step down from his position of chief investment officer (CIO) after deciding to “semi-retire” from full-time work.