La Caixa hunting for private equity managers

Spanish banking group La Caixa is looking to commit 10% of its €3.8bn pension scheme to alternative assets.

Speaking to EVCJ sister publication Thomson Investment Management News, chairman of the scheme’s trustees, Antonio Canals Coll said that the seven-year old defined contribution scheme has a structure whereby 52% of its assets are in bonds, 38% in equity, and the rest goes to private equity, commodities, hedge funds and real estate in equal measure.

It is currently in hiring mode and is looking for private equity, hedge fund and real estate fund managers. It has hired Mercer as consultant on the process.

Canals Coll told Thomson IM News that about half of private equity’s 2.5% share of the alternatives allocation is invested in funds of funds, the rest is invested in mutual funds and shares of listed private equity funds.