Investor Strategy – Page 144

  • News

    German investor pursues corporate bonds

    2009-02-27T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CET 27-02] GERMANY – A German corporate investor is looking for an asset manager to look after up to €200m in investment grade corporate bonds, using IPE-Quest.

  • News

    VBV to raise commodity holding

    2009-02-25T16:05:00Z

    [17:00 CET 25-02] AUSTRIA – VBV, the largest Austrian Pensionskasse, wants to invest more in commodities and is looking at a foray into infrastructure.

  • News

    Call on Dutch to target Western Europe

    2009-02-25T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CET 25-02] NETHERLANDS – The Dutch pensions industry should focus on EU countries in Western Europe as an export market for the Dutch pension system because their models are relatively compatible, according to an academic and pensions expert.

  • News

    Schemes granted five years recovery – but is it enough?

    2009-02-24T15:35:00Z

    [16:35 CET 24-02] NETHERLANDS - Dutch minister of social affairs and labour Piet Hein Donner has confirmed he will allow pension funds with a funding shortfall – now approximately half of all Dutch funds – to have up to five years to bring their solvency ratios up to 105%, rather than the three years the Dutch Pension Ac currently prescribes.

  • News

    Hedge funds and private equity win in diversity push

    2009-02-24T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CET 24-02] UK – Pensions funds chose to further diversify their asset allocation strategies last year by investing more of their assets in direct hedge funds and direct private equity while reducing the search for real estate managers, suggests a review of Watson Wyatt’s manager selections.

  • News

    Lancashire cancels manager search

    2009-02-24T13:30:00Z

    [14:30 CET 24-02] UK – Lancashire County Council has agreed to defer the appointment of an enhanced index-tracking manager for its £3.3bn (€3.8bn) pension fund, as officials say performance is "not compelling".

  • News

    Norway tenders ethical research mandate

    2009-02-24T12:30:00Z

    [13:30 CET 24-02] NORWAY – The Ministry of Finance is seeking to establish a framework agreement relating to research of companies included in the investment portfolio of the Government Pension Fund – Global.

  • News

    Rail union threatens strike over pension changes

    2009-02-24T12:15:00Z

    [13:15 CET 24-02] UK – Around 7,000 UK railway workers are being encouraged to vote in favour of industrial action as unions claim Network Rail is planning to introduce a “two-tier” pension scheme for workers.

  • News

    Merseyside awards European mandate to Unigestion

    2009-02-23T14:50:00Z

    [15:50 CET 23-02] UK – Wirral Borough Council has formally confirmed the appointment of Unigestion as a European equity manager for the £3.7bn (€4.2bn) Merseyside Pension Fund.

  • News

    Local government pensions consider investing in schools

    2009-02-23T14:45:00Z

    [15:45 CET 23-02] UK – UK local authority pension funds officials have been in discussions with a quasi-government body about the prospect of investing in the building of UK schools through private finance initiatives (PFIs).

  • News

    Fund managers lighten up on economy

    2009-02-19T16:10:00Z

    [17:10 19-02] GLOBAL – Investors are at their most hopeful about the year ahead since the credit crunch took hold in July 2007, according to the latest fund manager survey by asset manager Merrill Lynch.

  • News

    Research supports call for flexible payout phase

    2009-02-19T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CET 19-02] EUROPE – Academic research suggests European pensions policy could give pensioners increased potential retirement income and flexibility in the long-term by allowing pension pots to be diversified beyond mandatory annuities across the life of the payout phase.

  • News

    Kingston awards JP Morgan custody contract

    2009-02-18T15:03:00Z

    [16:05 CET 18-02] UK – The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames has reappointed JP Morgan as the global custodian to its £323m (€365m) local authority pension fund.

  • Funds review diversification and management
    News

    Funds review diversification and management

    2009-02-16T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CET 16-02] GLOBAL – Opinion polls suggest pension fund managers globally are questioning the use of diversification, just as funds are re-evaluating their investment management policy.

  • Barnet appoints actuary
    News

    Barnet appoints actuary

    2009-02-16T11:00:00Z

    [12:00 CET 16-02] UK – The London Borough of Barnet has appointed Barnett Waddingham as actuarial services provider to its £511.4m (€578.4m) local authority scheme.

  • News

    Trade bodies warn against hard-hitting measures

    2009-02-16T10:00:00Z

    [11:00 CET 16-02] NETHERLANDS - Dutch pension funds’ lobbying organisations have warned they will oppose any recovery measures that are could hit schemes’ participants hard, as long as it is not clear whether the consequences of the credit crunch will be lasting.

  • Tower Hamlets offers bond portfolio after restructure
    News

    Tower Hamlets offers bond portfolio after restructure

    2009-02-13T15:10:00Z

    [16:10 CET 13-02] UK – The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is tendering for an active bond manager for its £530m (€589.7m) pension fund, following a restructuring of its bond allocation, while Middlesbrough Borough Council is seeking actuarial advice.

  • News

    OECD calls for pension expansion despite $5.4trn loss

    2009-02-12T15:55:00Z

    [16:55 CET 12-02] GLOBAL – Private pensions across the world lost $5.4trn between January and December 2008, up from $5trn in October 2008, driven mainly by returns on US pension funds, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

  • News

    Oxford appoints IFA and passive equity manager

    2009-02-12T13:15:00Z

    [14:15 CET 12-02] UK – Oxfordshire County Council has appointed Peter Davies as the independent financial adviser to its £913m (€1.04bn) local authority pension fund and awarded Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) a 10-year specialist passive equity mandate.

  • News

    Iceland to allow 'temporary' access to 3rd pillar savings

    2009-02-11T13:30:00Z

    [14:30 CET 11-02] ICELAND – The Icelandic government plans to introduce legislation allowing holders of individual pension accounts to access their savings early to meet “dire financial difficulties”.