SWITZERLAND - In the latest search on IPE Quest (QN695) a Swiss institutional investor is looking for an active Japanese small cap equities manager for a CHF 125m (€77.5m) mandate.

It is expected that the selected investment manager will outperform the MSCI Small Cap Japan (Bloomberg ticker GSALJN) by an average of 300 basis points per year over a cycle of four years.

"The investment manager selected as a result of this search process will be a fiduciary of our client," the search states.

Interested parties have to offer a fixed fee, no performance fee and no ticket fee and a tracking error of 5% - 15% (ex-post).

This search closes on January 31 2007.

In search QN 693an investment company in the Middle East is putting out a $20m - $50m (€15.4m - €38.6m) active GEM/High Yield Debt Global mandate.

"Our client is looking for a GEM debt or high yield non-directional product offering libor plus returns," the search states.

The requested minimum AUM for the mandate is $250m, absolute minimum and preferred minimum track record is two years with at least monthly liquidity.

Performance has to be stated to year-end 2006 gross of fees.

This search closes on January 29 2007.

The deadline for participation in search QN 681, Dutch in industry-wide pension fund tenders $70m euro zone debt mandate, has been changed from January 26 to January 25 2007.