Investor Strategy – Page 159

  • 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.

  • News

    ABP cuts Fannie and Freddie holdings

    2008-07-21T12:00:00Z

    [13:00 CEST 21-07] NETHERLANDS – The €205bn Dutch civil service pension fund ABP has confirmed it has cut its mortgage-backed securities (MBS) holdings in US mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

  • News

    Cambridgeshire goes passive

    2008-07-21T10:32:00Z

    [12:35 CEST 21-07] UK – The £1.4bn (€1.8bn) pension fund of UK local authority Cambridgeshire county council has awarded a £140m passive equity mandate to State Street Global Advisors (SSgA).

  • News

    1 in 3 Dutch funds have long term reserve shortage – Mercer

    2008-07-18T13:37:00Z

    [14:37 CEST 18-07] NETHERLANDS – Currently one out of every three Dutch pension funds has a long term reserve shortage, according to investment consultancy, Mercer.

  • News

    Ireland to review ethical investments

    2008-07-18T12:57:00Z

    [13:57 CEST 18-07] IRELAND – The Irish government will examine ethical investment following increased calls for independent scrutiny of the National Pension Reserve Fund's (NPRF) holdings in companies operating in Zimbabwe.

  • Unilever fund to double commodities
    News

    Unilever fund to double commodities

    2008-07-17T14:27:00Z

    [15:27 CEST 17-07] NETHERLANDS – Progress, the €4bn Dutch pension fund of food and home care products manufacturer Unilever, is looking to double its commodity investments by the end of 2008.

  • Buckinghamshire seeks three new managers
    News

    Buckinghamshire seeks three new managers

    2008-07-16T14:41:00Z

    [15:41 CEST 16-07] UK – Buckinghamshire County Council is searching for three new investment managers for its pension scheme, with the mandates valued up to £325m (€408m).

  • Recession threat dampens inflation fears
    News

    Recession threat dampens inflation fears

    2008-07-16T14:29:00Z

    [15:29 CEST 16-07] EUROPE – European fund managers are looking to healthcare stocks as a safe haven as risk appetite plummets, according to Merrill Lynch.

  • Falkirk targets passive manager for 'flexibility'
    News

    Falkirk targets passive manager for 'flexibility'

    2008-07-16T14:27:00Z

    [15:27 CEST 16-07] UK – Falkirk Council Pension Fund is searching for a passive manager to run an equity portfolio worth up to £325m (€410m).

  • Dutch government advisor SER goes fiduciary
    News

    Dutch government advisor SER goes fiduciary

    2008-07-16T12:30:00Z

    [13:30 CEST 16-07] NETHERLANDS – The €145m pension fund of the Dutch Social and Economic Council (SER), the body that advises the Dutch government on social and economic policy, has appointed ING/AZL as its fiduciary manager.

  • Bulgaria changes risk options for schemes
    News

    Bulgaria changes risk options for schemes

    2008-07-15T14:38:00Z

    [15:38 CEST 15-07] BULGARIA – The Bulgarian government has agreed to implement changes proposed by the Financial Supervision Commission to enable different risk levels in the third pillar and raise the equity cap for second pillar funds.

  • DKK115bn PKA eyes hedge funds and bank loans
    News

    DKK115bn PKA eyes hedge funds and bank loans

    2008-07-15T14:23:00Z

    [15:23 CEST 15-07] DENMARK – Pensionskassernes Administration (PKA), Denmark’s largest occupational pension fund administrator, is looking to make its first allocation to hedge funds.

  • Camden starts first phase of portfolio restructure
    News

    Camden starts first phase of portfolio restructure

    2008-07-15T13:55:00Z

    [14:55 CEST 15-07] UK – The London Borough of Camden has started the restructuring of its pension fund portfolio, issuing tenders for passively-managed securities, fixed income and active global equities.

  • Dáil to grill NPRF over Zimbabwe
    News

    Dáil to grill NPRF over Zimbabwe

    2008-07-14T13:21:00Z

    [14:21 CEST 14-07] IRELAND – The National Pension Reserve Fund (NPRF) has been called to give evidence to the Irish Parliament's joint committee on foreign affairs over Zimbabwe.