New Hampshire pulls $239 million from Ken Fisher

New Hampshire pulls $239 million from Ken Fisher
Its announcement brings the amount divested from his firm to more than $2 billion.
OCT 22, 2019
New Hampshire's state pension pulled the $239 million it had invested with Ken Fisher, bringing the total amount divested from the billionaire's firm to more than $2 billion. Tuesday's move by the New Hampshire Retirement System comes after Fidelity Investments and several pensions withdrew their money after Mr. Fisher made lewd comments at an industry conference. New Hampshire's investment with Fisher Investments represented about 2.6% of the system's assets, the pension said in a statement. "The recent statements made by Ken Fisher are not only offensive and inappropriate, they are incompatible with the values of the retirement system and bring into question Mr. Fisher's judgment," according to the statement. The New Hampshire system, which manages $9.2 billion in assets, hired Fisher in September 2001. [Recommended video: The six signs of an economic bubble]Fisher Investments is seeing an intensifying backlash since the firm's founder made offensive comments earlier this month about women, spoke of genitalia and then failed to immediately understand the gravity of his words. Mr. Fisher later issued an apology. New Hampshire joins pensions in Iowa, Michigan, Boston and Philadelphia that have divested their money. Camas, Wash.-based Fisher Investments, which managed $112 billion as of September, is also facing scrutiny from other pensions that are reviewing their relationship with the firm. Fisher Investments was managing about $10.9 billion on behalf of 36 state or municipal government entities, including pension plans, at the end of 2018, according to the firm's Securities and Exchange Commission registration. That figure is down from $13.2 billion at the end of 2017. [More: Ken Fisher's son defends his father on LinkedIn]

Latest News

Why fixed income still belongs in your clients' portfolios
Why fixed income still belongs in your clients' portfolios

In an era of AI euphoria and market FOMO, getting back to basics with fixed income may be the most contrarian and most important move advisors can make.

Voya expands advisor managed accounts to add private market assets
Voya expands advisor managed accounts to add private market assets

Voya Financial adds private equity, credit and real estate options to its AMA program, building on support for looser federal investment rules in retirement accounts.

With executives leaving, Osaic’s Reid now in the spotlight
With executives leaving, Osaic’s Reid now in the spotlight

Shannon Reid, president of Osaic and the network’s number two executive, has plenty of challenges, industry executives said.

Investors sue crypto fund and platform, alleging $1.5 million never returned
Investors sue crypto fund and platform, alleging $1.5 million never returned

Auditors flagged the commingling. The COO allegedly knew. Investors kept getting the pitch

Wells Fargo nabs $1.7B RBC advisor team, loses two teams to LPL
Wells Fargo nabs $1.7B RBC advisor team, loses two teams to LPL

The advisors on the move include two brothers leading a family practice in Connecticut, and a husband-and-wife tandem working with business owners in the West Coast.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.