Investor Strategy – Page 159

  • Analysis: Do members care where the money comes from?
    Analysis

    Analysis: Do members care where the money comes from?

    2008-08-12T15:25:00Z

    [16:25 CEST 12-08] UK/EUROPE - Attempts to introduce an ethical investment policy to the £4.3bn (€5.5bn) Merseyside Pension Fund (MPF) have so far met with failure, however the latest resolution passed by Liverpool City Council in July may just be "bland" enough to allow scheme members to have a say ...

  • News

    TIAA-CREF hunts real estate via London office

    2008-08-12T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 12-08] US/UK – The New York-based Teachers Insurance and Annuities Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), the second-largest retirement plan in the US with assets of $420bn (€281bn), has launched its first overseas office in London.

  • News

    'Too early for Fortis EGM', say funds (Update)

    2008-08-11T15:40:00Z

    [16:40 CEST 11-08] NETHERLANDS – A number of large Dutch pension fund and pension fund providers have stamped a unanimous 'no' against shareholder organisations VEB’s call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of Fortis’ shareholders.

  • News

    Longevity risk higher on TLP derivatives - MPL

    2008-08-11T13:30:00Z

    [14:30 CEST 11-08] GLOBAL – Pensions funds are being advised to invest traded life policy funds as part of a strategy to hedge longevity rather than buy direct or opt for TLP derivatives, as a supplier to European pension funds argues only half of the risk is being hedged in ...

  • News

    Co-op's £5.3bn fund confirms custody consolidation

    2008-08-08T15:55:00Z

    [16:55 CEST 08-08] UK – The £5.3bn (€6.7bn) Co-operative Group Pension Scheme (PACE) has tapped BNY Mellon Asset Servicing as its sole custodian.

  • News

    Capacity of buyout providers in doubt

    2008-08-06T14:15:00Z

    [14:15 CEST 06-08] UK – Consultancy firm Aon has warned pension buyout providers are buckling under the weight of current buyout demand and are struggling to cope with requests.

  • Northern Rock pension talks reach impasse
    News

    Northern Rock pension talks reach impasse

    2008-08-05T15:10:00Z

    [16:10 CEST 05-08] UK – Sir David Chapman, chairman of the trustees of the £350m (€441m) Northern Rock final salary scheme, has announced talks with the company have come to a halt over “fundamental differences” on investment strategy.

  • Deficits near 2007 levels as schemes wise up
    News

    Deficits near 2007 levels as schemes wise up

    2008-08-01T15:50:00Z

    [16:50 CEST 01-08] UK – Deficits of the 200 largest UK final salary schemes improved by £8bn (€10bn) during July, as pension funds increased and adopted more sophisticated investment activity during the second quarter of this year, suggests research from Aon Consulting.

  • Hackney seeks admin provider to replace LPFA
    News

    Hackney seeks admin provider to replace LPFA

    2008-08-01T14:45:00Z

    [15:45 CEST 01-08] UK – The London Borough of Hackney is seeking a new provider of pension administration and pension payroll services ahead of the expiry of its current contract with the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) next year.

  • News

    Telegraph opts for bulk buyout as prices begin to rise

    2008-07-31T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CEST 31-07] UK – The Telegraph Media Group, publisher of UK broadsheet the Telegraph, has tapped Legal & General to buy out £12m of its defined benefit staff pension plan liabilities.

  • News

    PMA keeps cover ratio to 185%

    2008-07-31T14:45:00Z

    [15:45 CEST 31-07] NETHERLANDS - The €1.1bn pension fund for pharmacies’ staff PMA has managed to maintain a cover ratio of approximately 185%, despite experiencing a 23 percentage point drop in the first half of 2008.

  • News

    Allianz mulls pan-European pension fund

    2008-07-30T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 30-07] GERMANY – The insurance group Allianz is considering rolling out a pan-European pension fund but regulations could yet hinder the project.

  • News

    £1.2bn Trafalgar House fund replaces Hewitt (amended)

    2008-07-30T14:00:00Z

    [15:00 CEST 30-07] UK - The £1.2bn (€1.5bn) pension fund of the former UK property conglomerate Trafalgar House has appointed Dutch consultant Cardano as its new investment adviser, replacing Hewitt.

  • News

    ABP joint venture spends €2.7bn in shopping spree

    2008-07-29T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 29-07] NETHERLANDS – The €205bn Dutch pension fund ABP today revealed it now owns Scandinavia’s largest shopping centre owner and developer, Steen & Strøm, after buying the firm in a joint venture for NOK21.9bn (€2.7bn).

  • News

    Cheshire places £130m in high alpha fixed income

    2008-07-29T12:45:00Z

    [13:45 CEST 29-07] UK – The £2.3bn (€2.8bn) Cheshire County Council Pension Fund has awarded three fixed income mandates, including £130m into two high alpha funds managed by Henderson Global Investors.

  • News

    ING takes AZL's fiduciary offering abroad

    2008-07-29T11:30:00Z

    [12:30 CEST 29-07] NETHERLANDS – ING Investment Management, which has been offering fiduciary management to medium-sized Dutch pension funds since its acquisition of pension fund manager AZL last year, plans to launch a fiduciary proposition abroad.

  • News

    PKZH suspends rebalancing on solvency drop

    2008-07-28T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 28-07] SWITZERLAND – The CHF14.5bn (€8.9bn) City of Zürich Pension Fund has decided not to make any major changes to its portfolio in light of the credit crisis, even though its funding level has now dropped from 130% in 2007 to an estimated 116% today.

  • News

    FTSE 100 pensions yet to review VaR target

    2008-07-25T15:40:00Z

    [16:40 CEST 25-07] UK – Only a handful of pension funds linked to FTSE 100 are reviewing their Value at Risk (VarR) target and so many are increasing the risk to corporate balance sheets, according to research conducted by accounting firm Deloitte.

  • News

    Newsquest allocates 10% to hedge funds

    2008-07-22T15:20:00Z

    [15:20 CEST 22-07] UK – Newsquest Pension Scheme has awarded two fund of hedge fund mandates, valued at £40m (€50m), which is equivalent to 10% of scheme assets.

  • News

    German CTA to award €350m TAA mandate

    2008-07-22T15:10:00Z

    [16:10 CEST 22-07] GERMANY – A fiduciary manager in Germany acting on behalf of a German pension fund is looking for managers for a €350m tactical asset allocation (TAA) mandate, using IPE-Quest.