All articles by David White – Page 25
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Features
Pension assets go on growing
Pension fund assets in Europe continue to grow in spite of the downturn in global financial markets. IPE’s annual survey of Europe’s leading pension funds shows that the top 1000 funds now account for E2.3trn in assets, up from E2.1trn last year. A total of 47 of the top 100 ...
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News
IPE publishes top 1000 European pension fund list
EUROPE- Pension fund assets in Europe continue to grow in spite of the downturn in global financial markets. IPE’s annual survey of Europe’s leading pension funds pension funds shows that the top 1000 funds now account for E2.3trn in assets, up from E2.1trn last year. A total of 47 of the top 100 pension funds report a rise in assets.
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News
Swiss government agrees to cut minimum rate
SWITZERLAND- The Swiss Pension Funds Association (ASIP) has welcomed the decision of Switzerland’s Upper House of Parliament to modify its plans to cut the guaranteed minimum interest rate of second pillar pensions.
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Features
Hedge funds get guarded welcome
Hedge funds now represent a small but significant part of the portfolios of some of Sweden’s foundations. The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Reseach (SSF) took its first tentative steps into hedge funds last year. Bjorn Brandt, director of administration at SSF says: “To diversify foundation assets and obtain a performance ...
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Features
Foundations on a firmer footing
Sweden’s stiftelsen, the foundations that underpin much of the country’s university research, are at a crossroads. They were charged initially with protecting and, if possible, growing their capital. They have done this successfully, more successfully perhaps than anyone expected. This is reflected in the lengths of their lifetimes, which have ...
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Features
Towards 'social Europe'
Bruno Gabellieri believes that many of the problems of compatibility of Europe’s social protection systems could be resolved, if not at a stroke, at least without the need for complex new legislation – specifically the proposed European pensions directive. The building blocks are already there, he says. They are the ...
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Special Report
SRI comes naturally
Swedish foundations are charitable rather than commercial institutions, with a broader social responsibility than a pension fund. So it is perhaps not surprising that many have turned to socially responsible investment (SRI). Mistra, the foundation that supports Swedish environmental research, decided last year that between 10% and 20% of its ...
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Features
Preparing for the long haul
While German insurance companies and investment banks have been gearing themselves up for the new Riester market, the significance of the developments in German has not escaped foreign players, in particular, with an eye on the huge predicted asset flows in Europe’s largest economy. International asset manager, Invesco, is one ...
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News
Swiss chamber joins critics of guarantee cuts
SWITZERLAND- The Swiss Chamber of Pension Fund Experts has added its weight to the growing opposition opposition to the decision to lower the guaranteed minimum interest rate for mandatory occupational pension schemes in Switzerland.
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News
ASIP slams Swiss government over guarantee cuts
SWITZERLAND- The proposal to lower Switzerland’s guaranteed minimum interest rate for mandatory occupational pensions from 4% to 3% has provoked widespread opposition from pension funds, employers and political parties.
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News
GMO Woolley claims rights issues hit performance
UK- Shares of companies that launch cash-raising rights issues underperform the market by 20%, according to research by European asset manager GMO Woolley which maintains Investors who avoid companies who issue rights to reduce debt can enhance their returns.
