Rian Howlett , Karen Friar and Laura Bratton of Yahoo Finance report the Dow, S&P 500 cap volatile week with back-to-back weekly losses:

US stocks were mixed on Friday, as Wall Street capped a turbulent week stoked by President Trump's heated pursuit of Greenland, while chipmaker Intel (INTC) sank after its earnings disappointment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) retreated roughly 0.6%. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose slightly, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) gained 0.2%.

All three major indexes posted back-to-back weekly losses.

Intel posted worse-than-expected first quarter guidance late Thursday, raising concerns about its turnaround. The chip giant swung to a quarterly loss as it struggled to meet demand for its server chips used in AI data centers. Shares sank over 16% Friday.t

Stocks recorded weekly losses for the second week in a row as the relief that lifted stocks for two straight days of gains wore off. After a rough start to a holiday-shortened trading week, investors took heart from Trump cooling his Greenland rhetoric and backtracking on proposed tariffs on NATO allies. Trump argued that his moves worked out, as the market was "just about even" for the week.

That said, a shift out of US assets is gaining traction as US-EU tensions weigh on the dollar (DX-Y.NYB). And gold (GC=F) headed toward its best week since 2020, while silver (SI=F) topped $100 per ounce.

Elsewhere, there were signs of progress on the China-US front, as TikTok and ByteDance finally closed a deal with Oracle (ORCL) and others to let it operate in the US. Meanwhile, Beijing has reportedly told China's big techs they can start preparations to order Nvidia's (NVDA) H200 chips, whose imports are currently curbed.

Investors are bracing for a blockbuster earnings week next week, along with the Federal Reserve's meeting and interest rate decision. Trump said Thursday he has a pick for the next Fed chair in mind after wrapping up interviews, and he will name the replacement for Jerome Powell "soon."

Sean Conlon and Pia Singh of CNBC also report the S&P 500 ends Friday little changed, but posts second straight losing week amid wild trading: 

U.S. equities were mixed on Friday, as the Nasdaq Composite extended its gains amid easing geopolitical fears and the Dow Jones Industrial Average underperformed.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 0.28% and settled at 23,501.24, while the blue-chip Dow lost 285.30 points, or 0.58%, closing at 49,098.71. A nearly 4% slide in Goldman Sachs weighed on the 30-stock index. The broad market S&P 500 eked out a marginal gain of 0.03% to end at 6,915.61.

Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices were among those supporting the Nasdaq and the S&P 500, climbing 1.5% and more than 2%, respectively. The moves come as people familiar with the matter told CNBC that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is planning to visit China in the coming days. Other tech names like Microsoft saw a boost as well.

Intel shares, in contrast, tumbled around 17% after the chipmaker reported a disappointing first-quarter outlook.

The three major averages rallied for a second session on Thursday as investors were appeased by news of easing trade tensions and geopolitical risk.

The indexes began their rebound on Wednesday after President Donald Trump called off his threatened tariffs on the imports of eight European nations — which were set to start Feb.1 — and announced that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached a “framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland.” The tariff threat briefly spurred a flight from U.S. assets as investors turned to the “sell America” trade at the start of the holiday-shortened trading week.

Trump had also told CNBC Wednesday that “we have a concept of a deal” with the Arctic island.

“Investors this week welcomed a term that kind of started around Liberation Day or shortly thereafter — the ‘TACO’ trade,’” said Scott Ellis, managing director, corporate credit at Penn Mutual Asset Management. “Maybe investors will look to that in the future as Trump kind of walks back and this administration walks back some of the rhetoric in order to get deals done.”

To be sure, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Thursday he doesn’t know what’s in the “framework” deal that Trump announced, stressing that any such deal must respect Greenland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

While the combined gains on Wednesday and Thursday had erased the Dow’s losses from earlier in the week, Friday’s move put it back in the red. The 30-stock Dow fell 0.5% on the week. The S&P 500 lost about 0.4%, while the Nasdaq slipped less than 0.1% in the period — both posted back-to-back losing weeks.

It was another volatile week on Wall Street dominated by President Trump's remarks prior, during and following his visit to the World Economic Forum at Davos.

The only good news is NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte who seems to have Trump's attention managed to strike some sort of deal with respect to Greenland but all sides have yet to formally approve and details remain vague. 

Looking at S&P sectors, Energy and Materials benefited from the geopolitical tensions, gaining 3.3% and 2.1% respectively this week:

Worth noting the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) had another exceptional week, hitting fresh new record levels on geopolitical turmoil:

 

If you ever needed proof that parabolic charts can get more overbought, there it is, short sellers are getting steamrolled trying to short silver and gold.

Still, there will be a pullback back to the 10-week exponential moving average, that I guarantee you.

Here are the best performing large, mid and small cap US stocks this week (full list for each is here, you need to change exchange):

Once again, micro cap stocks took off the most:

Next week is a big earnings week as the tech powerhouses report, keep an eye on post-earnings reaction because that tells you a lot.

And be careful with stocks that run up too much, too fast headed into earnings, Intel being the perfect example today as it got clobbered 17% following weak earnings:

It will likely pull back some more but the weekly chart remains bullish so don't be surprised if it heads back up at some point and resumes an uptrend.

Alright, let me wrap it up there, been a long week.

Below, Tom Lee, Fundstrat, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss the week for stock markets, the earnings reports next week and much more.

Next, Jeff deGraaf, Renaissance Macro, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss the recent breakout in regional banks, how small caps can perform going forward and much more.

Third, Dan Niles, Niles Investment Management, joins 'Fast Money' to talk whats ahead for big tech earnings next week including Apple and Microsoft.

Fourth, 'Fast Money' traders talk precious metal prices continuing to climb.

Lastly, CBC's Power & Politics' Political Pulse Panel breaks down duelling speeches at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week.

Layan Odey of Bloomberg reports BCI’s $182 billion pension fund names Jon Salon head of private equity unit: 

British Columbia Investment Management Corp. named Jon Salon as the new global head of private equity, succeeding industry veteran Jim Pittman, who is leaving the pension plan at the end of the month.

Salon, who will assume the role next month from New York, joined the pension manager in 2024 after leading Cigna Group’s Evernorth Health Services. Prior to that, Salon spent about 15 years at buyout firm Bedford Funding, where he was a founding partner.

“Jon has been an exceptional addition to our private equity leadership, and I’m pleased to welcome him to BCI’s executive management team in this new capacity,” Chief Executive Officer Gordon J. Fyfe said in a statement seen by Bloomberg.

Since joining BCI in 2016, Pittman grew the private equity unit from a C$7 billion ($5.1 billion) into a C$36 billion business, while broadening the strategy and expanding its global footprint with offices in New York and London, according to the statement.

BCI, which invests the retirement savings of British Columbia’s public sector workers, had C$251.6 billion of net assets as of March 31.

Earlier today, BCI issued a statement stating that Jon Salon has been appointed Global Head of Private Equity, leading the C$36 billion+ PE program:

Victoria, BC — British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) today announced that Jon Salon has been appointed Executive Vice President & Global Head, Private Equity, effective February 2, 2026. Salon brings more than 30 years of private equity investment and executive management experience to the role. He succeeds Jim Pittman, who has led the program since 2016 and will be leaving BCI at the end of January.

Salon joined BCI Private Equity in 2024 as Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Healthcare, quickly growing his role to include leadership of BCI’s venture & growth strategies and being named head of the New York office. He joins BCI’s executive leadership team with a mandate to advance the high‑conviction, globally diversified private equity strategy that delivers sustainable, long‑term value for BCI’s pension fund and institutional clients. He will lead a team of more than 75 professionals across Victoria, New York, and London, overseeing fund, direct, and co‑investment strategies, with an emphasis on active ownership, operational value creation, and strategic partnerships with leading sponsors and management teams. 

“Jon has been an exceptional addition to our private equity leadership, and I’m pleased to welcome him to BCI’s executive management team in this new capacity,” said Gordon J. Fyfe, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer at BCI. “With nearly three decades of investment and operational experience, he brings the vision, discipline, and track record to advance BCI Private Equity’s strategy and continue delivering long-term value for our clients.”

Salon is based in New York and will report to Gordon J. Fyfe, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, BCI.

“I look forward to leading BCI Private Equity’s world‑class program and working with our exceptional team of investment professionals to further refine and execute our strategy,” said Jon Salon. “Together, we will continue to build on BCI’s global reputation as an innovative, flexible, and strategic capital partner and pursue opportunities that deliver enduring value for our clients, co‑investors, and portfolio companies.”

Since joining BCI in 2016, Pittman grew BCI Private Equity from a C$7 billion portfolio into a globally recognized C$36 billion+ platform, while broadening the strategy and expanding its global footprint with offices in New York and London. 

“Jim has been instrumental in building this program, and we’re grateful for his leadership and many contributions over the past decade,” adds Fyfe. 

Alright, earlier today I wrote about the odd departures of CAAT's CIO, CFO and CPO and now in my second comment of the day I'm going to tackle this story out of BCI.

Full disclosure, I reached out to Jim Pittman yesterday after someone told me he was "ousted" from his role at BCI and have not heard back from him.

I also reached out to BCI's CEO Gordon Fyfe earlier today and not surprisingly, have not heard back from him either.

Now, let me first congratulate Jon Salon for taking over this really important asset class at BCI.

When he was first hired, I was extremely impressed that they were able to attract and retain such a talented and experienced private equity professional. 

My comment today isn't about Jon Salon who I have no doubt will continue to build BCI's global PE portfolio via partnerships and co-investments.

Instead, I'm thinking the same thing everyone else is thinking: "Why the hell is Jim Piitman leaving BCI?".

The press release states Jim is leaving BCI at the end of January and he is still on their website under the executive management team:

Since joining BCI in 2016, Jim Pittman has led the private equity team. Jim joined BCI with a specific mandate to build the private equity program’s strategy including total fund exposure, increase direct and co-sponsor deals, and extend the program’s global reach. Since then, Jim has grown the portfolio from C$7 billion to more than C$30 billion by investing in leading companies and funds with long-term growth potential, while adding sectors including venture and growth capital to the strategy. With $295 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025, BCI is one of the largest institutional investors in Canada.

Before joining BCI, Jim was a Managing Director at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSPIB) for over 10 years. During his time there, Jim co-led the implementation of the firm’s private equity strategy. Prior to PSPIB, Jim was the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer for PAL Aerospace, Canada. He has a background in acquisitions, divestitures, and tax.

Jim holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds the ICD designation. He has also completed advanced strategy, management, and leadership courses from Harvard, Wharton, and the University of Toronto.

Jim serves as a Board Director for Tropicana Brands Group and BMS Group, allowing him to continue collaboration efforts with portfolio company management teams on strategic, operational, and financial decisions; as well as ensuring alignment with BCI’s ESG principles, responsible investing approach, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. He is also a member of BCI’s Management Investment Committee.

Jim remains involved in his community by actively supporting the Canadian National Women’s Rowing Team and the Montreal Community Cares Foundation. 

I worked with Jim Pittman at PSP, he was Derek Murphy's right-hand man, built up a solid portfolio at PSP based on fund investments and co-investments, moved over to BCI back in 2016 two years after Gordon was appointed CEO/ CIO, and has done outstanding job there building that private equity portfolio.

He's considered by many, not just me, to be one of the best private equity executives in the pension industry which is why everyone finds it very odd he's leaving BCI.

When I last met him in Montreal a few years ago, he was telling me how his job is "all about managing relationships" and that they managed to move the ratio of fund investments to co-investments  to roughly 45/55 and were pressing on. 

Two years ago. I discussed how BCI's PE portfolio was staying liquid, agile and focused using secondaries to manage liquidity and diversify vintage year risk.

When I covered BCI's fiscal 2025 results, I noted the PE portfolio gained 13.4% last fiscal year and the private equity unit made two sales in the secondary market, fetching $1.6 billion in proceeds. BCI also was an investor in Ziply Fiber, the United States broadband internet company that’s being acquired by BCE Inc. for $5 billion.

Despite underperforming its benchmark last fiscal year, the private equity portfolio produced great long-term results and it was by far one of the best contributors to BCI's value add over the last ten years.

So again, why is Jim Pittman departing BCI at the end of this month (some say he already left)? 

Was he "ousted" from BCI? Don't know but I strongly doubt it as he was extremely tight with Gordon Fyfe.

Who knows, maybe Gordon is retiring and Jim decided to leave to do something else, join Murph (Derek Murphy) on some new project  or join a private equity fund.

I have no clue, all I can tell you is Jim Pittman is a really good guy, hope he and his family are all well and I'll grab a drink with him any time he's in Montreal (I can't say the same for many of my former PSP colleagues, except Fred, I love Fred Lecoq, only guy I still keep in touch with). 

Alright, there's my 2-for-1 special, back to trading these crazy markets.

Friendly reminder: I do NOT get paid enough to share my wisdom on this public blog and remind all of you including my old friend Gordon Fyfe to contribute to support the work that goes into it.

You might not always agree with me, I might even irritate you sometimes. I don't really care,  I just do my thing and if you're reading this and getting value/ entertainment or whatever out of it, you should be paying for it. I thank those of you who respect the work that goes into this blog and support it through contributions. 

Below, Jim Pittman, Executive VP and Global Head of Private Equity at BCI, joins Giovanni Amodeo for a fireside chat to discuss BCI’s private equity proposition and his outlook on the market (September, 2024).

Also, BCI's Head of Global Private Equity, Jim Pittman, discussed trends he sees in the industry at the Milken Conference (April, 2025). Video clip also available here.

I am publishing two comments today since I didn't publish yesterday. James Bradshaw of the Globe and Mail reports three senior executives resign from CAAT pension plan:

Three of the most senior executives at the CAAT Pension Plan resigned without explanation this week, as chief executive officer Derek Dobson cited a need for “the right alignment of our executive team” in a memo to staff.

Chief investment officer Asif Haque, chief financial officer Mike Dawson and chief pension officer Evan Howard resigned on Monday, according to a company-wide e-mail reviewed by The Globe and Mail.

Mr. Dobson did not provide a reason for their departures to plan staff, but he wrote that all three executives “are leaving the organization on good terms” in the e-mail sent Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesperson for CAAT confirmed the resignations in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday that did not explain why they are leaving but said that the plan “is in strong financial shape.”

Mr. Haque, Mr. Dawson and Mr. Howard all had years of experience at CAAT. Mr. Haque had the longest tenure among them, at nearly 16 years, and had served as CIO since 2021.

Mr. Dawson joined CAAT in 2018 after a stint as a vice-president at fund manager BlackRock Inc., and took over as CFO in 2022. And Mr. Howard, a former Bay Street lawyer, joined CAAT as general counsel in 2012.

CAAT promoted Kevin Fahey to CIO, to succeed Mr. Haque. Mr. Fahey has worked at CAAT for 17 years.

The plan also named Scott Blakey, a former CAAT trustee, as interim executive vice-president and chief people and culture officer.

“CAAT is actively in search of permanent senior executives,” Mr. Dobson said in the staff memo. He also said CAAT’s 2026 business plan “remains intact.”

Chief strategy officer Jillian Kennedy is staying in her role, and vice-president of actuarial solutions John Baiocco will oversee the plan’s funding and sustainability.

CAAT is a multiemployer pension fund, founded in 1967 to serve Ontario’s colleges of applied arts and technology, that has expanded to serve more than 750 participating employers, with more than 120,000 active and retired members.

The Globe is a participating employer in CAAT, having merged its company pension plan in 2022.

The CAAT plan manages $23.3-billion in assets and is in a surplus funding position, with $1.24 in assets for every dollar it expects to owe in pensions, as of Jan. 1, 2025. 

Earlier today, I reached out to CAAT CEO Derek Dobson and Director of Corporate Communications Stephen Hewitt who replied back with this statement:

CAAT Pension Plan confirmed the resignation of three senior executives: Asif Haque, Mike Dawson and Evan Howard, the former Chief Investment Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Pension Officer, respectively. The Plan is grateful for the service, contribution and impact they have had in CAAT’s growing success.  

 

CAAT possesses a depth of talent that allows the Plan to continue to deliver its pension promise and build on its momentum under the leadership of the CEO and Plan Manager. Jillian Kennedy remains Chief Strategy Officer, focused on expanding the Plan’s employer and membership base. Kevin Fahey has been promoted to Chief Investment Officer after 17 years in various leadership roles on CAAT’s Investments team. John Baiocco continues to oversee funding and sustainability of the Plan as Vice President of Actuarial Solutions. 

 

CAAT also welcomes Scott Blakey as Interim Executive Vice President and Chief People and Culture Officer, bringing extensive experience to the role from the college sector and pension industry.  The organization is conducting searches to add to its existing executive bench strength for roles such as the Chief People and Culture Officer in addition to other roles. 

 

The Plan is in strong financial shape. CAAT's most recent independent valuations show the Plan at a 124% funded status. This means for every $1 of pension benefits CAAT has promised to members, the Plan has $1.24 in assets. At year of 2024, the Plan had $23.3 billion in total assets under management. CAAT also reported $6.1 billion in funding reserves as of January 1, 2025.  These reserves act as a cushion against market downturns, demographic shifts, and other risks, ensuring long‑term sustainability. 

  

Established in 1967, the CAAT Pension Plan is an independent, jointly governed plan that offers highly desirable modern defined benefit pensions. Originally created to support the Ontario college system, the CAAT Plan now proudly serves more than 750 participating employers in 20 industries, including the for-profit, non-profit, and broader public sectors. It currently has more than 120,000 active and retired members. The CAAT Plan is respected for its pension and investment management expertise, with an ongoing focus on stability and benefit security for our members. 

I also reached out to Asif Haque directly via email but have not heard back from him.

Now, any time you see a CIO, CFO and CPO resigning from an organization, you ask questions because it looks very odd to say the least.

The article  above states:

 Mr. Dobson did not provide a reason for their departures to plan staff, but he wrote that all three executives “are leaving the organization on good terms” in the e-mail sent Tuesday afternoon.

That also raises a lot of questions, are they leaving to join another organization? Why go out of your way to state they are leaving on good terms in an email?

I have no idea, all I know is that Asif did a great job as CIO, I spoke to Evan (Howard) last April when I covered CAAT's 2024 results and I was surprised when I read this story.  

It just seems very odd from the outside.

Now, what does this mean for CAAT?

Well, to be honest, it means employees might be frazzled but as far as the Plan, it remains very solid and they have excellent investment professionals who will continue to do their job.

For example, Kevin Fahey who was in charge of Private Markets is now the acting CIO.

Kevin has been around CAAT for a very long time (17 years, even longer than Asif) and will be an outstanding CIO, no doubt about it.

How do I know? I had a few private discussions with Julie Cays who hired Kevin and Asif and trained them both so they both got trained by one of the best CIOs in Canada and they're both very competent professionals.

I'm not worried about CAAT Pension Plan missing a beat with Kevin at the helm of their investment office.

That's all I have to comment on this topic for now, if there is more I will let you know in an update.

Stay tuned for my subsequent comment covering a big departure at BCI (damn cold winter!).

Below, a conversation with Citadel Investment Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Griffin at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Great stuff, have a listen.

Alex Harring of CNBC reports Danish pension fund to sell $100 million in Treasurys, citing ‘poor’ US government finances: 

Danish pension operator AkademikerPension said it is exiting U.S. Treasurys because of finance concerns as Denmark spars with President Donald Trump over his threats to take over Greenland.

Anders Schelde, AkademikerPension’s investing chief, said the decision was driven by what it sees as “poor [U.S.] government finances” amid America’s debt crisis. But it also comes as tensions escalate between the U.S. and Denmark after Trump’s latest threats to tariff European countries if Greenland, an arctic territory of Denmark, isn’t sold to the U.S.

“It is not directly related to the ongoing rift between the [U.S.] and Europe, but of course that didn’t make it more difficult to take the decision,” Schelde said in a statement to CNBC.

The fund currently has a position of around $100 million in U.S. Treasurys, an AkademikerPension spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. The academics-focused fund plans to have exited that holding by the end of the month.

Schelde chiefly cited the ballooning debt bill facing the U.S. after decades of government overspending. The U.S. recorded a budget shortfall of $1.78 trillion last year, down just over 2% from 2024′s fiscal year as Trump’s broad and steep tariffs took effect.

Moody’s Ratings cut the United States’ sovereign credit rating down to Aa1 from Aaa in May, citing the budget deficit and high borrowing costs associated with rolling over debt at lofty interest rates.

The U.S.′ finances made “us think that we need to make an effort to find an alternative way of conducting our liquidity and risk management,” Schelde said. “Now we have found such a way and we [are] executing on that.”

Denmark has grown increasingly hostile toward the U.S. as Trump has ratcheted up his calls for control of Greenland to be given to the U.S. Trump said over the weekend that he would institute tariffs on several European nations beginning Feb. 1 if the U.S. did not take control of Greenland and that those levies could rise to 25% on June 1.

European leaders have reportedly considered using counter-tariffs and other punitive economic measures as a result. Some investors have worried that European countries could dump their U.S. asset holdings in response to Trump’s new tariffs.

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Monday that it would “not be pressured” and “stand firm on dialogue, on respect and on international law.”

Treasury yields in the U.S. and abroad surged Tuesday, a sign of investors feeling geopolitical turmoil rising. The U.S. dollar and stocks fell, and gold rose to new all-time highs in a session defined by the “sell America” trade.

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio told CNBC on Tuesday that sovereign funds could start to dump U.S. investments if they stop seeing the U.S. as a stable trading partner.

“On the other side of trade, deficits, and trade wars, there are capital and capital wars,” Dalio told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “If you take the conflicts, you can’t ignore the possibility of the capital wars. In other words, maybe there’s not the same inclination to buy ... U.S. debt and so on.”

Reuters first reported the Danish pension fund’s Treasury exit. 

While this story made the rounds today given Trump's threats to take over Greenland, the truth is it has nothing to do with geopolitics but deteriorating US government finances.

Whatever, $100 million is peanuts in the Treasury market and I'm curious to see what liquid instruments they will replace this with, maybe European bonds.

But as the Economist recently reported, European government finances aren't any better which is why Europe’s biggest pension funds are dumping government bonds:

European governments are on a borrowing spree. During 2026 countries in the euro area will issue sovereign debt worth €1.4trn ($1.6trn, or 9% of GDP), reckons Amundi, an asset-management firm. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank plans to slim its holdings by €400bn. Net off the debt that is due to mature, and euro-area governments must find new buyers for nearly €900bn-worth of bonds—vastly more than in any previous year.

Unfortunately, some of their most deep-pocketed lenders are preparing to close their cheque books. Pension funds own roughly 10% of euro-zone countries’ sovereign bonds with maturities over ten years, of which the Dutch pension system—the EU’s largest, with assets of €1.9trn—accounts for two-thirds. Until recently, Dutch schemes had been keen buyers because government bonds’ all but guaranteed payouts helped them offer members “defined-benefit” (DB) pensions, meaning fixed retirement incomes. Now, owing to a reform of the Netherlands’ pension regulations, the DB schemes are on their way out. A significant source of demand for long-term European government bonds will soon disappear.

On January 1st, estimates Corine Reedijk of Aon, a risk adviser, schemes overseeing 35-40% of total Dutch pension assets moved to a “defined-contribution” (DC) model. This means they will no longer offer retirees (even legacy members) fixed incomes, but variable ones that depend on how their investment portfolios perform. The majority of the remaining schemes will transition from January 1st 2027, and the regulations require all that are open to new members to do so by 2028.

Dutch pension funds are therefore losing a powerful incentive to buy long-term government bonds. Unlike DB schemes, DC ones lack fixed liabilities stretching many years into the future, so the near-certain payouts such bonds promise are less valuable to them. Risky assets such as stocks look more attractive, offering a shot at superior returns and hence higher, if more volatile, retirement incomes.

In other words, lots of long-term European government bonds and interest-rate swaps (derivative contracts that offer similar payouts) will soon be up for sale. The Dutch central bank forecasts that pension schemes will reduce their holdings of those with maturities over 25 years by €100bn-150bn as they transition. This is a significant chunk of the €900bn-worth of such bonds outstanding.

Bob Homan of ING, a Dutch bank, thinks all European bonds will be affected, but mainly those with maturities over ten years issued by countries with the top “AAA” credit rating. (These include Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.) Since bond yields move inversely to prices, sales will push up yields. Traders have probably already priced some of this in, thinks Mr Homan. But the pressure will continue for the next two years as more pension schemes transition, and the overall effect “is difficult to quantify”. The trouble, he says, is that “I don’t see any new demand appearing” for long-dated bonds.

Should bond yields rise further, the greater returns on offer would surely spur their own demand. They would also raise European governments’ long-term borrowing costs—and for some these are already at their highest since the euro-zone crisis of 2010-12, or higher (see chart above). The temptation for finance ministers will be to issue fewer bonds with long maturities and more short-dated ones, with lower interest rates. Yet short-dated bonds must be refinanced sooner, making governments more vulnerable to the risk of short-term interest rates moving higher than expected (owing to a surprise jump in inflation, say).

Another risk is that investors who are enticed by higher yields to buy bonds are likely to be flightier, resulting in more volatility. A DB pension fund that has earmarked a bond’s coupons and principal for future liabilities does not care if its price changes, since its payouts will stay the same. Such price-insensitive bondholders are rare and valuable to borrowers. The ECB is another big one and it, too, is shrinking its portfolio. Taking their place will be price-sensitive investors such as hedge funds, which will buy sovereign debt if returns look attractive, but dump it just as quickly if other assets start to look better. Those tasked with selling European government bonds have a busy year ahead.  

Eduard van Gelderen, PSP's former CIO shared this with me: "With the introduction of the new pension contract in the Netherlands, there is a move from DB to DC. However, in order to protect the members, a minimum return on the assets is guaranteed. The members will also get part over the returns in excess of the guaranteed returns. Whereas before the liabilities were hedged (LDI approach), now the assets will be hedged. This implies that the high demand for bonds and swaps in the old situation will drastically diminish in the new situation." 

Eduard should know since he served as CEO of the Dutch financial service provider APG Asset Management and Deputy CIO of ING Investment Management. 

I personally think the Dutch pension reforms are not a step in the right direction, not that the old LDI approach was perfect, it forced them to buy bonds during the euro crisis that had negative yields.

Lastly, while everyone is worried about Trump's Davos speech on Wednesday, global bond investors are fixated on Japan where bond yields are soaring to record highs, sending a jolt through the global bond market:

A jump in Japan's borrowing costs to all-time highs rippled through major bond markets on Tuesday, colliding with ​fresh anxiety over tensions related to Greenland and underscoring investors' sensitivity to rising fiscal pressures and heavy debt loads. Japanese 10-year government bond ‌yields surged almost 19 basis points (bps) in two days, the sharpest rise since 2022, while 30-year yields posted their biggest daily jump since 2003 as investors braced for increased government spending. Prime Minster Sanae Takaichi called a snap election on Monday and is running on a platform of stimulus. "If there is a strong mandate following the election, that could open the door to more fiscal spending," said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management. "It pulls a lot of global bond markets into a difficult story about debt and ‌you can see that in the rise in borrowing costs."WORRIES OVER GREENLAND, THREAT OF MORE TARIFFSBond investors were also grappling ​with U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats against European allies over Greenland, which may raise expectations that Europe will have to ramp up defence spending further through even more bond issuance. Talk of a 'Sell America' trade has also resurfaced, adding to selling pressure on Treasuries. The benchmark 10-year yield on Tuesday hit its highest since late ‍August of 4.313% . Danish pension fund AkademikerPension said on Tuesday it was planning to sell its U.S. Treasury holdings by the end of the month, worth some $100 million. U.S. 30-year Treasury yields jumped around 8 basis points to 4.91% , as U.S. markets reopened after Monday's holiday. Over the last two trading day, they've risen by 13 bps, their biggest two-day increase since last May, when China-U.S. trade tensions ⁠flared. The spread between U.S. two‑year and 30‑year yields, a barometer of investor unease about long‑term government finances, was on track for its biggest one‑day widening since ‍August, yet remained well below the 19‑bp jump recorded during last April's Liberation Day selloff. "Japan fiscal pressures are concerning, but markets have become more sanguine about U.S. deficits," wrote Gennadiy ‌Goldberg, head ‌of U.S. rates strategy, at TD Securities in a research note. "While Japanese worries could continue to pass through given global correlations, the U.S. Treasury is doing everything in their power to avoid over-issuing long-end debt by keeping issuance shorter-dated."  
 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CALM? The bonds selloff ends weeks of relative stability in big markets outside of Japan that have faced pressure over the past year from concern about high debt. German 30-year bonds climbed as much as 6 bps to 3.53%, the highest in about two weeks, ⁠before coming down to 3.483%. UK 30-year ⁠yields , which often rise or fall ​more than peers, were up around 6 bps at 5.22%, posting their largest daily increase since early January. In Europe, tensions over Greenland only highlighted spending pressures, analysts said. "It again means that Europe needs to do more on defence," said Barclays head of euro rates strategy Rohan Khanna. "Which the market is going to say: look, it eventually means more issuance and more debt ‍supply and hence weaker long-end bonds." He added that tariffs would hurt growth, which was supportive for shorter-dated bonds. European bond markets were also sensitive to the JGB selloff because Japanese investors, big buyers of foreign bonds, might be tempted to move money into higher Japanese bond yields. "The question is, where are those flows going to come from now? Are they going to come more from the ​U.S. or more from Europe? And given the current geopolitical landscape, that could amplify the spillover ‍to the U.S. a bit more," said ING senior rates strategist Michiel Tukker. "You could argue it's safer to stay in German Bunds than U.S. Treasuries."  

One thing is for sure, higher Japanese bond yields means Japanese banks and insurance companies will not need to purchase as many Treasuries and European bonds.

Whatever the case, clearly worth keeping an eye on the Japanese bond market this year and while Vanguard ditched its bet on Japanese bonds ahead of the massive selloff, others see opportunity:

To be sure, not all fund managers have been scared off by the recent turmoil. Ranjiv Mann, a senior portfolio manager at Allianz Global Investors, said he was “actively discussing potential opportunities” in Japanese government bonds Tuesday, while as recently as last week, Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Andrew Balls saw opportunities in market volatility.

My take? Japanese bonds look awfully attractive at these levels.especially since the BOJ is signalling more rate hikes as the yen and politics fuel inflation risks.

Lastly, people need to remember that higher long bond yields are good for global pension funds because the value of future liabilities declines and as long as assets remain stable, their deficits shrink, surpluses grow.

That's why most North American corporate and public pension plans are in good financial shape lately, their deficits shrunk or surpluses grew.

Below, Bloomberg reports on Netflix’s cautious forecast, stocks tumbling, and a Danish pension fund exiting US Treausries.

Also, the selloff in Japan's bond market escalated quickly on Tuesday. Yields soared to records as investors gave a thumbs down to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s election pitch to cut taxes on food. Jordan Rochester, Mizuho EMEA FICC strategy head, talks about what could come next for the bond markets.

Third, Krishna Guha, Evercore ISI, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk the day's market action.

Lastly, Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest market trends, state of the economy, 2026 world order, his thoughts on wealth taxes, and more.

HOOPP announced on LinkedIn that Chris Holtved was recently appointed Senior Managing Director and Head of Global Real Estate: 

Faces behind the Fund: get to know Chris Holtved, HOOPP’s new Senior Managing Director and Head of Global Real Estate

Chris Holtved was recently appointed Senior Managing Director and Head of Global Real Estate at HOOPP. In this role, Chris is responsible for overseeing a diverse portfolio of investments across Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia. Since joining HOOPP, Chris has been instrumental in shaping and expanding the Real Estate portfolio, playing a key role in its significant growth and development. Over his more than decade-long tenure at HOOPP, he has held multiple senior leadership roles, including Global Head of Industrial Real Estate and interim co-head of Real Estate.

Reflecting on his new role, Chris shared: “HOOPP has built not only an incredible portfolio of real estate, but an incredible team of real estate professionals. The opportunity to continue working with this team as we collectively lead the growth and evolution of the portfolio on behalf of our members is what makes this role so rewarding”.

Before HOOPP, Chris held leadership roles at GE Capital, Dundee REIT, Bentall and Manulife Financial. Outside of work he serves as Treasurer on the Boards of the Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Community Foundation of Orillia and Area, and is an avid cyclist.

Learn more about HOOPP’s real estate portfolio here. 

Back in September when Eric Plesman left HOOPP to rejoin Oxford Properties as its President and CEO, it was announced Chris Holtved would take over Eric's duties. 

He knows that portfolio extremely well having worked there for over a decade:

Chris Holtved is the Senior Managing Director & Head of Global Real Estate at HOOPP. In this role, Chris is responsible for overseeing the organization’s diverse portfolio of real estate investments across Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Chris first joined HOOPP in 2013 and played an instrumental role in building the Real Estate asset class. He has held a number of senior positions within the organization, including Global Head of Industrial Real Estate as well as co-heading HOOPP’s global real estate business.

Prior to HOOPP, Chris held various leadership roles across a diverse range of real estate disciplines spanning operations and leasing, asset management, development and investments at GE Capital, Dundee REIT, Bentall and Manulife Financial, bringing a diverse perspective to the role. He also serves on the Boards of the Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Chris holds an HBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University. 

I don't know Chris but I am very informed on HOOPP's Real Estate portfolio and how they were ahead of their peers in acquiring logistics properties, moving swiftly in a very hot sector. 

Chris led those efforts forging solid partnerships in North America and Europe as Global head of Industrial Real Estate.

By the end of 2024, the gross market value of HOOPP's real estate’s portfolio increased to $21.0
billion from $19.5 billion, representing 17% of its total assets.

This makes Real Estate the most important private market asset class at HOOPP, followed by Private Equity ($17 billion) and Infrastructure ($7.6 billion).

HOOPP recently appointed Chantale Pelletier as Head of Global Infrastructure (see my comment here) and there's no doubt this will be where the primary focus will be placed going forward in private markets.  

Once Infrastructure hits 15% of total assets, it will be considered a more mature asset class like Real Estate and Private Equity.

What else? HOOPP's Real Estate portfolio takes sustainability very seriously as it impacts the value of its assets.

In fact, last year, HOOPP Real Estate was recognized once again for accelerating the Fund's climate strategy through innovation:

From the implementation of autonomous building HVAC technologies in an effort to reduce energy consumption to hosting community festivals in support of local organizations, HOOPP’s real estate partners have demonstrated their commitment to supporting the sustainability goals of the Fund over the last year.

This week, HOOPP recognized the achievements of 10 real estate property managers at the 13th annual LEAP awards. As leaders in sustainability and innovation, the award winners have supported HOOPP in advancing key steps outlined in our climate strategy, as we work towards our goal of achieving net-zero portfolio emissions by 2050. Since 2012, we’ve awarded over 130 LEAP Awards, spanning topic areas of technological innovation, climate mitigation, community impact, tenant collaboration, operational performance and greenhouse gas reductions.

You can read HOOPP's Real Estate Sustainability Report for 2022 here to learn more.

On that note, let me wrap it up with what HOOPP posted on LinkedI last week:

HOOPP is proud to co-own Robson Court (840 Howe) with GWL Realty Advisors and to announce that the property has achieved the CAGBC Zero Carbon Building – Performance Standard™ certification. This milestone reflects the continued progress of HOOPP’s climate change strategy. 

Remember in real estate, the quality of your assets matter a lot, the ones that score high on sustainability garner the most attention for a reason, that's where demand lies.

Below, Karen Horstmann, Managing Director Real Estate, United States for La Caisse, shares her unique experiences and strategies for navigating the ever-evolving real estate market. From starting with a blank slate at Norges Bank to developing scalable and flexible investment strategies, Karen shares insights on aligning with best-in-class operators, creative problem-solving within the team, and balancing long-term and short-term objectives. 

She covers diverse asset classes, including logistics, office, residential, and niche sectors like data centres and medical offices, emphasizing sustainability and risk mitigation. Discover how innovative approaches and top-down themes can drive alpha returns and ensure resilience in a dynamic market environment. Great insights here, listen in.