Germany’s biggest public pension fund plans to invest more in private equity and hedge funds and reduce its bond holdings as low interest rates curb returns.
“We started committing the first funds to private equity in 2007 and we are now beginning to reap the first rewards,” said Andre Heimrich, chief investment officer of Bayerische Versorgungskammer, in an interview in Munich. “There is still room for expansion and we could imagine doubling our share of private-equity investments.” BVK currently has about 4 percent of its assets committed to buyout funds.
BVK, which had 60.5 billion euros ($76.5 billion) in assets at the end of August, manages 12 pension plans overseeing compulsory retirement funds for doctors, architects, lawyers, Bavarian lawmakers and chimney sweeps. The company, part of the state of Bavaria’s interior ministry, is also seeking more investments in infrastructure, hedge funds and real estate.
