Investor Strategy – Page 163

  • News

    8 out of 10 managers fail to add value

    2008-05-20T14:00:00Z

    [15:00 CEST 20-05] NORDIC/EUROPE - Asset managers working for pension funds do not “add value” to propositions around 80% of the time, according to Watson Wyatt.

  • News

    "Pure alpha" is worth paying for - AP2

    2008-05-20T12:30:00Z

    [13:30 CEST 20-05] NORDIC/EUROPE - Pension funds should be willing to pay more for "pure alpha" but should stay away from private equity unless they have the necessary expertise on due diligence, AP2 officials have warned.

  • Leicestershire to move out of gilts
    News

    Leicestershire to move out of gilts

    2008-05-19T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 19-05] UK – Leicestershire County Council’s pension fund management board is following the recommendation of its investment consultant and increasing its total returns strategy by moving out of government bonds.

  • News

    AP7 switches to hedge fund replication

    2008-05-19T11:45:00Z

    [12:45 CEST 19-05] SWEDEN - AP7, one of the default funds in the Swedish Premium Pension Authority (PPM), has confirmed it is switching from fund of hedge funds to hedge fund replication strategies in the next quarter.

  • Bank of Finland scheme appoints SSGA
    News

    Bank of Finland scheme appoints SSGA

    2008-05-16T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 16-05] FINLAND – The €460m pension fund for Suomen Pankki, the Bank of Finland, has awarded a number of asset management mandates relating to real estate and equities.

  • Finnish VER to boost alternatives
    News

    Finnish VER to boost alternatives

    2008-05-16T15:10:00Z

    [16:10 CEST 16-05] FINLAND – Valtion Eläkerahasto (VER), the €11.53bn Finnish first pillar pension scheme, is planning to increase its exposure to alternative investments to 10%.

  • News

    Watson Wyatt calls on pension funds to review focus

    2008-05-15T13:00:00Z

    [14:00 CEST 15-05] GLOBAL - Pension funds should reduce their external investment management costs by 10 basis points and use this saving to increase their internal resources, consulting firm Watson Wyatt has suggested.

  • Cardiff seeks specialist currency manager
    News

    Cardiff seeks specialist currency manager

    2008-05-15T10:30:00Z

    [11:30 CEST 15-05] UK – Cardiff County Council is seeking a manager for a specialist currency portfolio for the Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan Pension Fund.

  • News

    Iceland falling behind on SRI issues

    2008-05-14T11:00:00Z

    [12:00 CEST 14-05] SCANDINAVIA – Norway and Sweden are leading countries in the implementation of socially responsible investment (SRI), however Finland, Denmark and particularly Iceland are all "lagging behind", experts have claimed.

  • News

    Dutch funds brave elements despite buffer boost (amended)

    2008-05-13T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CEST 13-05] NETHERLANDS – Despite their recovering financial buffers, Dutch pension funds have started venturing into direct gold investments, according to investment consultant Mercer.

  • News

    Hewitt Wassum attacks AP fund limits

    2008-05-13T11:00:00Z

    [12:00 CEST 13-05] SWEDEN - Hewitt Wassum Investment Partners, the Stockholm-based investment consultant, has criticised the investment restrictions imposed in the country’s AP pension-buffer funds, as creating unwanted and irrational investment decisions.

  • News

    GTAA and FoHFs see increased European focus

    2008-05-12T15:20:00Z

    [16:20 CEST 12-05] EUROPE – European pension funds increased their interest in alternative investment strategies such as fund of hedge funds (FoHFs) and global tactical asset allocation (GTAA) in 2007, according to a study conducted by consulting firm Mercer.

  • News

    Credit crunch boosts buyout market

    2008-05-12T14:00:00Z

    [15:00 CEST 12-05] UK – The pensions buyout market reached £2.2bn (€2.77bn) in the first quarter of 2008, driven by a reduction in price resulting from increased competition and the effects of the credit crunch, Aon Consulting has revealed.

  • News

    AP6 acquires 25% share of Swedish fashion house

    2008-05-08T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 08-05] SWEDEN - Sjätte AP-fonden (AP6), the Swedish pension buffer fund, has entered into a "long-term partnership" with Atlas Design, to make it Europe's "leading fashion house for accessories".

  • News

    Denmark to publish CSR action plan

    2008-05-07T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 07-05] DENMARK - The Danish government is to publish an action plan which will outline how to meet the growing “expectations and challenges” of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in mid-May.

  • News

    PensionDanmark reviews its asset allocation

    2008-05-07T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 07-05] DENMARK - PensionDanmark, the €10bn pension fund, will change its asset allocation over the coming months and reduce in its allocation to fixed income and diversifying assets.

  • News

    Insurers see Austrians take pensions risks

    2008-05-07T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CEST 07-05] AUSTRIA – Traditional life insurance sales are on the decline while insurance-based pensions investment fund solutions are growing fast, the Austrian federation of insurers (VVÖ) said.

  • News

    Paint and print fund goes fiduciary

    2008-05-06T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CEST 06-02] NETHERLANDS/UK – The €125m Dutch pension fund for workers in the paint and printing industries (SBVD) has promoted its balanced mandate manager to the status of fiduciary manager.

  • News

    Credit crunch shifts Icelandic pensions strategy

    2008-05-06T14:00:00Z

    [15:00 CEST 06-02] ICELAND - The effects of the credit crunch on the Icelandic economy has forced pension funds to abandon long-term strategy and think 'tactically', the Engineers Pension Fund has claimed.

  • News

    Canada Life extends protection to standard annuities

    2008-05-06T10:30:00Z

    [11:30 CEST 06-05] UK – Canada Life is now offering annuity protection across all of its conventional annuity products, not just enhanced annuities, which would provide dependents a lump-sum payment if the policyholder dies before they are 75.