Asset Managers – Page 204

  • News

    Thousands face pension cut following Xafinity blunder

    2008-12-16T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CET 16-12] UK – The UK government has admitted tens of thousands of ex-servicemen, former NHS employees and teachers, and other former public service industry workers now face an pensions cut, following a blunder on indexation connected to Xafinity Paymaster.

  • News

    Geroa tackles regulator on domestic equity

    2008-12-15T15:35:00Z

    [16:35 CET 15-12] SPAIN – Geroa Pentsioak, the €712m defined contribution pension fund set up to complement the Spanish state pension scheme for the employees in Basque Country region of Gipuzkoa, is challenging its regulator for more investment freedom.

  • News

    PIC snags remaining Thorn

    2008-12-15T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CET 15-12] UK – Pensions Insurance Corporation, the insurance-based pensions buyout provider, has agreed a deal with trustees of the £1.1bn pension fund for former Thorn employees to take on the pensions liabilities and top up the benefits to members.

  • News

    'Go with the bond curve', say Dutch actuaries

    2008-12-12T16:15:00Z

    [17:15 CET 12-12] NETHERLANDS – The Dutch Actuarial Association has advised pension funds they can now invoke an exemption rule of Dutch pensions law which allows them to use the bond curve rather than the swap curve to calculate the value of their liabilities.

  • News

    Market turmoil drives change for Ilmarinen

    2008-12-11T16:25:00Z

    [17:25 CET 11-12] FINLAND - Ilmarinen Mutual, the Finnish pension fund with €23.7bn in assets under management, is making the first tactical and minor strategic changes to its investment strategy as a result of the economic turmoil.

  • News

    Elkarkidetza halves equity allocation

    2008-12-11T16:20:00Z

    [17:20 CET 11-12] SPAIN – The Bilbao-based Elkarkidetza, the pension fund for Basque Country provincial and local government employees, has cut its equity exposure from 32% to 15% this year amid market turmoil.

  • News

    APG eyes European pension assets

    2008-12-10T16:10:00Z

    [17:10 CET 10-12] EUROPE – Pension provider and asset manager APG Group is continuing its push for expansion abroad in 2009, focusing on developed European markets, according to director of pension administration Jaap Maassen.

  • News

    BP scheme goes ALM

    2008-12-10T14:50:00Z

    [15:50 CET 10-12] UK – The £18bn (€20.6bn) UK pension fund of oil giant BP will embark on its first asset liability modelling review of scheme investments and funding, Sally Bridgeland, chief executive of PB Pension Trustees, has revealed.

  • News

    EC mulls short-selling ban

    2008-12-09T15:20:00Z

    [16:20 CET 09-12] EUROPE – Niall Bohan, the head of the asset management unit at the European Commission (EC), today revealed the EC is reviewing short-selling and looking at possible bans on the practice, while seeking to organise stock-lending.

  • News

    Quest for global developed markets debt

    2008-12-09T14:50:00Z

    [15:50 CET 09-12] UK – A UK-based investment consultancy company has said it is looking for a manager to manage a $1bn (€780m) global developed market debt investment grade mandate, using IPE quest.

  • News

    1 in 5 pension providers still not SRI-proof

    2008-12-08T16:20:00Z

    [17:20 CET 08-12] NETHERLANDS – Over 20% of Dutch pension funds and pension insurers have yet to make any effort to develop a socially-responsible investment (SRI) policy, according to the Association of Investors in Sustainable Development (VBDO).

  • News

    PPF taps State Street for risk mandate

    2008-12-08T16:05:00Z

    [17:05 CET 08-12] UK – The £2bn (€2.3bn) Pension Protection Fund (PFF), the UK’s lifeboat scheme for corporate defined benefit arrangements, has tapped State Street Corporation for a risk services mandate.

  • Italian funds to discuss investment review
    News

    Italian funds to discuss investment review

    2008-12-05T15:45:00Z

    [16:45 CET 05-12] ITALY – The Italian pension fund regulator Commisione di Vigilanza sui Fondi Pensione (Covip) has invited Italy’s largest pension funds to discuss possible changes to the current investment strategy in light of the credit crunch.

  • News

    Concentrate on home territory, warns DNB’s Kellerman

    2008-12-05T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CET 05-12] NETHERLANDS – Dutch pension funds and pension providers with cross-border ambitions should put such plans on hold and focus on solving asset shortages caused by the credit crunch, the Dutch pension regulator DNB has warned.

  • BMB recruits Chris Walker for European schemes
    News

    BMB recruits Chris Walker for European schemes

    2008-12-04T16:25:00Z

    [17:25 CET 04-12] GLOBAL – Chris Walker, former managing director of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP), has joined alternative asset manager BMB Group ahead of the firm's move to launch Shari'a compliant products for European pension funds.

  • PGGM combines chief finance and risk management role
    News

    PGGM combines chief finance and risk management role

    2008-12-04T16:10:00Z

    [17:10 CET 04-12] NETHERLANDS – Jac Kragt has been promoted to become the chief finance and risk officer (CFRO) at the recently disconnected asset management arm of the giant Dutch health care pension fund Zorg & Welzijn (PFZW).

  • French money managers warned clean up your act
    News

    French money managers warned clean up your act

    2008-12-04T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CET 04-12] FRANCE – Ratings agency Fitch has today warned French asset managers they are out of touch and need to regain investors' confidence by offering products which match their needs.

  • JP Morgan to shrink equity derivatives teams
    News

    JP Morgan to shrink equity derivatives teams

    2008-12-04T15:45:00Z

    [16:55 CET 04-12] EUROPE – JP Morgan is planning job cuts on its derivatives desk by combining its structured investments distributor (SIDM) and financial institutions distributor (FIDM) teams in derivatives marketing in London, IPE has learnt.

  • News

    Pension pressure improves human rights at Sodexo

    2008-12-01T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CET 01-12] SCANDINAVIA – Constructive dialogue by the Ethical Council of the Swedish AP-Funds has resulted in the service company Sodexo adopting a company-wide human rights policy, and has in turn led to it being re-instated as an investment option for the Norwegian life insurer Kommunal Landspensjonskasse (KLP).

  • News

    Ombudsman warns trustees over investment role

    2008-11-28T15:55:00Z

    [16:55 CET 28-11] IRELAND – The Pensions Ombudsman has warned it is time trustees of pension schemes, including professional trustees, to recognise their responsibilities to members particularly in areas such as investment.