What Is a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF)?
A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund comprised of money generated by the government, often derived from a country's surplus reserves. SWFs provide a benefit for a country's economy and its citizens.
Key Takeaways
- A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund.
- Sovereign wealth funds can be derived from a variety of sources and used for a variety of purposes.
- Acceptable investments in each SWF vary from fund to fund and country to country.
Understanding Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs)
The funding for a sovereign wealth fundcan come from a variety of sources. Popular sources are surplus reserves from state-owned natural resource revenues, trade surpluses, bank reservesthat may accumulate from budgeting excesses, foreign currency operations, money from privatizations, and governmental transfer payments.
In general, sovereign wealth funds usually have a targeted purpose. Some countries have sovereign wealth funds that can be similar to venture capital for the private sector.
Similar to any type of investment fund, SWFs have their own objectives, terms, risk tolerances, liability matches, and liquidity concerns. Some funds may prefer returns over liquidity and vice versa. Depending on the assets and objectives, sovereign wealth funds’ risk management can range from very conservative to a high tolerance for risk.
Types of SWFs
Traditional classifications ofsovereign wealth fundsinclude:
- Stabilization funds
- Savings or future generation funds
- Public benefit pension reserve funds
- Reserve investment funds
- Strategic Development Sovereign Wealth Funds (SDSWF)
- Funds targeting specific industries (possibly emerging or distressed)
- Foreign currency reserve assets. (Some classifications may not consider thesefunds as SWFs.) Foreign currency reserve funds are powerful funds that may be used for specific governmental purposes and/or for helping to manage the trading power of a currency globally.
Investment Terms
The amount of money in aSWF is usually substantial. The acceptable investments included in each SWF vary from fund to fund and country to country. Countries can create or dissolve SWFs to match the needs of their population. Funds with liquidity concerns may limit investments to only veryliquid publicdebt instruments. In some cases, sovereign wealth funds will invest directly in domestic industries. Liquidity, debt, and allocation balances can be some of the key factors in investment terms.
There can be a concern that SWFs have a political influence.Some of the most significantsovereign wealth funds are not entirelytransparent about their investmentsand corporate governance practices.
Examples of SWFs
The top five largest SWFs by assets as of June 2024 included:
- Norway Government Pension Fund Global: $1.6 trillion
- China Investment Corporation: $1.35 trillion
- SAFE Investment Company: $1.09 trillion
- Abu Dhabi Investment Authority: $993 billion
- Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia: $925 billion
- Kuwait Investment Authority: 923 billion
$12.8 trillion
The total assets of the top 100 sovereign wealth funds, as of 2024.
Norway Government Pension Fund Global
Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global is the largest in the world. It was established in 1990 as the Government Petroleum Fund, with the initial purpose of creating a fund to hold surplus revenues from the country’s oil trade. In 2006 it changed its name to the Norway Government Pension Fund Global.
The Norway fund invests in equities, fixed income, and real estate. In 2024, it reported a return of 16.1% over the previous year. In 2023, 70.9% of the fund was in equity, 1.9% in real estate, 27% in fixed income, and 0.1% in unlisted renewable energy infrastructure.
China Investment Corporation
TheChina Investment Corporation is a $1.35 trillion SWF. This fund is used for managing a portion of the country’s foreign currency reserves. The Chinese Ministry of Finance established the China Investment Corporationin 2007 byissuing special bonds.
Public Pensions
The U.S. Social Security Trust Funds and the Government Pension Investment Fund Japan are the two largest government public pension funds in the world. The SWF Institute doesn’t include these in the pure SWF rankings.
The U.S. Social Security Trust Funds has $2.8 trillion in total assets. The Government Pension Investment Fund for Japan has $1.6 trillion in assets. These funds focus on helping a growing elderly population from funding through the current labor force.
The U.S. Social Security Trust Funds invest in special issue securities. The Japan GPIF is more diversified with allocations to domestic bonds, foreign bonds, domestic equities, and foreign equities.
Does the United States Have a Sovereign Wealth Fund?
Although the federal government does not have a specific sovereign wealth fund, several of its states do. The largest is the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, a $67-billion-dollar state owned investment fund that pays an annual dividend to eligible residents of Alaska.
Which Country Has the Largest Sovereign Wealth Fund?
The largest sovereign wealth fund is the Norway Government Pension Fund Global, which invests surplus oil revenues in international assets to ensure that the country will remain prosperous after the oil runs out. It holds $1.6 trillion in total assets, and is invested in about 1.5% of all listed shares. Earnings from the fund provide about 20% of the Norwegian government's annual revenues.
What Does a Sovereign Wealth Fund Invest in?
Sovereign wealth funds invest in the same types of assets as other funds, including equities, debt securities, real estate, resource extraction, and other assets. Although the primary goal is to provide investment returns, SWFs may also seek investments that benefit the economy of the host country, such as in infrastructure or domestic companies.
The Bottom Line
A sovereign wealth fund is a pool of assets that is run by a country's government, invested in assets to generate economic benefits for the citizens. For oil-rich countries like Norway, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, sovereign wealth funds represent an important source of government revenues and a tool for economic policy.
