Financial Markets
CalPERS is what's known as a "universal owner." We own a little of everything across the global financial markets. Because of this, we believe it's in our best interest for that financial market system to be designed to protect investor rights and be as transparent and free from conflicts as possible. By improving the system, we structurally improve the playing field in which pension funds like us invest, which supports the sustainability of our returns.
Key Areas of Focus
We engage directly with global standard setters and regulatory oversight bodies to:
- Improve the effective flow of capital
- Support sustainable economic growth
- Eliminate marketplace conflicts
- Reduce transaction costs
We endorse policies and market structures that stimulate public market capital formation, balanced with proper governance and transparency. This supports long-term growth opportunities and the availability of a diverse, investable universe for us.
We address inadequate corporate reporting, insufficient transparency, and ineffective regulations because they can impact capital markets and long-term investors like us. Operational, financial, and governance information about companies must be readily transparent to permit accurate market comparisons.
We advocate for a globally integrated financial reporting framework. This provides investors with sufficient transparency and relevant information about the economic performance and condition of businesses.
By collaborating with our peers and industry organizations, we're working to ensure that the unique interests of long-term asset owners are consistently incorporated into ongoing regulatory and legislative reform efforts.
| Partner | CalPERS' Role(s) |
|---|---|
| National Organization of Investment Professionals Fostering a favorable regulatory environment for institutional participation in the securities market | Active Member |
| Trader Forum Reshaping today's trading landscape | Active Member |
| Council of Institutional Investors Promoting governance policies that enhance long-term value for institutional asset owners and their beneficiaries |
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| ESG Data Convergence Initiative (EDCI) Creating a critical mass of meaningful, performance-based, and comparable ESG data from private equity companies |
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| Healthy Markets Transparency & Trust Working to educate market participants and promote data-driven reforms to market structure and regulatory challenges | Board Member |
| International Corporate Governance Network Promoting effective global standards of corporate governance and investor stewardship |
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| Asian Corporate Governance Association Working to implement effective corporate governance practices throughout Asia | Active Member |
| IFRS Sustainability Alliance Combining the SASB Alliance and the <IR> Business Network, this is the global membership program for sustainability standards, integrated reporting and thinking | Active Member |
| ILPA Engaging, empowering, and connecting limited partners to maximize their performance |
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