Investor Strategy – Page 173

  • News

    Financial advice growth poses problems for PPM

    2007-08-16T11:00:00Z

    [12:00 CEST 16-08] SWEDEN – An increasing use of financial advisers for fund selection in the Swedish premium pension plan could pose problems for the system as it generates potential bulk trading volumes.

  • News

    Citigroup signs first full pension buyout

    2007-08-15T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 15-08] UK – Financial services firm Citigroup has made its first step in the pension fund buyout arena with the purchase of a £200m (€294m) defined benefit pension fund previously owned by Thomson Regional Newspapers (TRN).

  • News

    HBoS boasts pension fund support

    2007-08-10T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CEST 10-08] UK – UK banking giant Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBoS) says it has contributed £1.15bn to its £5.7bn pension scheme since 2005, making this the second-largest UK employer contribution last year.

  • News

    NIBC drops IPO plans

    2007-08-09T15:30:00Z

    [15:30 CEST 09-08] NETHERLANDS – Dutch merchant bank NIBC has seen profits evaporate because of massive losses on asset-backed securities related to the US subprime mortgage market, despite nearly doubling its institutional assets under management earlier this year.

  • News

    European investors sought money safety in Q1

    2007-08-08T15:50:00Z

    [15:50 CEST 08-08] GLOBAL – Assets held by investment funds grew to over €17trn in the first quarter of this year but figures presented by European trade association EFAMA suggest European investors may have played safe when shifting assets from equities in the March downturn.

  • News

    Pension surplus under threat from equities - LCP

    2007-08-08T13:00:00Z

    [14:00 CEST 08-08] UK – Companies whose pension schemes remain heavily invested in equities should reconsider they are in a vulnerable position, argues Bob Scott, partner at Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP).

  • News

    Dutch funds unconvinced by 'unfavourable' Fortis bid

    2007-08-07T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 07-08] NETHERLANDS – A group of six Dutch pension fund-heavyweights yesterday voted against and displayed harsh criticism of Belgian-Dutch financials group, Fortis’ proposal for the potential ABN Amro takeover.

  • News

    Rürup urges MPs to cut their pensions

    2007-08-06T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 06-08] GERMANY – Professor Bert Rürup, a leading pension expert and government economic adviser, has urged German MPs to cut their pensions to show solidarity with working Germans whose pensions are already being reduced.

  • News

    Cardiff seeks transition managers

    2007-08-03T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 03-08] UK – The £899m (€1.34bn) Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Pension Fund is looking for a ‘panel’ of transition managers, IPE has learnt.

  • News

    Market gains could reduce cash funding

    2007-08-03T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 03-08] UK – Financial directors are being advised to review their funding deficits as improved market conditions may have reduced the level of contributions now required.

  • News

    PGGM to increase concentrated risk investments

    2007-08-03T11:00:00Z

    [12:00 CEST 03-08] NETHERLANDS – The €86bn Dutch pension fund PGGM, the second largest in the Netherlands, will double its concentrated risk investments in 2007, IPE has learnt.

  • News

    Pharma major hires Mercer for DC review

    2007-08-01T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 01-08] UK – Pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has hired Mercer Human Resource Consulting to review the design and investment strategy of its £850m (€1.3bn) UK-based defined contribution (DC) plan.

  • News

    Romania introduces pension fund risk profile

    2007-07-31T16:00:00Z

    ROMANIA – Pension funds in the recently-created Romanian second pillar will be labelled "high risk level" if they have less than 65% invested in low-risk bonds.

  • News

    Dutch railway fund invests in opportunities

    2007-07-30T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CEST 30-07] NETHERLANDS – Spoorwegpensioenfonds (SPF), the €12.1bn Dutch railway pension fund, is looking to invest a total of 5% of its assets in a new ‘opportunity portfolio’.

  • News

    Waltham Forest completes overhaul

    2007-07-30T14:00:00Z

    [15:00 CEST 30-07] UK – The £485m (€719.6m) London Borough of Waltham Forest pension fund has appointed six new managers.

  • News

    ABP and PGGM want returns in sustainable investment

    2007-07-26T10:00:00Z

    [11:00 CEST 26-07] NETHERLANDS - ABP and PGGM, the largest pension funds in the Netherlands, say they expect to see real returns on investments in sustainability and social causes.

  • News

    Suffolk signs three firms to handle £255m in equities

    2007-07-23T15:30:00Z

    [16:15 CEST 23-07] UK – Suffolk County Council Pension Fund has awarded three mandates to manage its equity investments, following a change in allocation strategy.

  • News

    LPFA moves property from UTs to mandate

    2007-07-23T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 23-07] UK - The London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) has appointed ING Real Estate to manage a £150m (223m) global property mandate.

  • News

    Cumbria introduces global equity and alternatives focus

    2007-07-20T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 20-07] UK - Cumbria County Council is making its first move into investing in alternatives with the appointment of asset manager Blackrock, as well as shift into global equities.

  • News

    Hampshire stays with Bramdean alternatives

    2007-07-19T11:02:00Z

    [12:02 CEST 19-07] UK – The £2.5bn (€3.7bn) Hampshire County Council Pension Fund has renewed its contract with UK-based multi-manager Bramdean Asset Management in a push for alternatives, IPE has learnt today.