All IPE articles in October 2007 (Online) – Page 6

News
Confidence in sustainable funds helps outperformance - Vinis

2007-10-15T15:00:00Z

GLOBAL – Sustainable investment funds are perceived to be more attractive in the long run which helps them perform better in times of market turbulence, according to Wolfgang Pinner, managing director at Austrian SRI fund manager Vinis.
News
Sainsbury takeover 'hinges on pension agreement'

2007-10-15T14:55:00Z

UK - The success of a £10.6bn (€15.2bn) takeover bid for J Sainsbury, one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, is now said to hinge on an agreement between the pension trustees and the bidders over the future of the pension scheme.
News
Hitchen adds voice to Solvency II criticism

2007-10-15T14:40:00Z

UK – Chris Hitchen, chairman of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) and chief executive of Railpen Investments, has become the latest critic of the Solvency II regime. He told a conference today that applying it to pension funds would amount to “killing the goose”.
News
Two Dutch schemes to move to Mercer pan-European vehicle

2007-10-15T12:51:00Z

[15:00 CEST 15-10] EUROPE - Two multinational companies are considering moving their Dutch pension activities into a pan-European pension scheme based in Ireland, claims Mercer.
News
F&C tops FairPensions ESG table

2007-10-15T12:46:00Z

[15:00 CEST 15-10] UK – F&C Asset Management tops a ranking of investment managers with the best engagement and transparency scores on environment, social and governance issues.
News
Pension volatility underscores de-risking need - Mercer

2007-10-15T12:34:00Z

[15:00 CEST 15-10] UK – Recent market volatility has highlighted the importance of risk management with the aggregate pension deficit of the UK’s largest companies soaring as high as £30bn in mid-August before recovering to £6bn (€8.6bn) at the end of September, according to Mercer.
News
Post union scrutinises Royal Mail deal

2007-10-15T11:38:00Z

[15:00 CEST 15-10] UK - Further strikes by Royal Mail staff protesting over the future of the company pension fund and other employment terms could be avoided if the postal workers’ union accepts a newly proposed deal this afternoon.
News
ING real estate wins £100m Welsh mandate

2007-10-15T10:00:00Z

[11:00 CEST 15-10] UK – The GBP1.36bn (€1.9bn) Rhondda Cynon Taf council pension fund has awarded a £100m UK property mandate, with possible exposure to other European markets, to ING Real Estate Investment Management.
News
Italy gains pension reforms approval

2007-10-12T15:45:00Z

[16: 45 CEST 12-10] ITALY - The Italian government has announced it will insert a welfare package, which includes pensions reforms, into the 2008 budget measures.
News
Ideas aired for pre-retirement DC guarantees

2007-10-12T15:30:00Z

[16:30 CEST 12-10] GLOBAL – Pensions experts at life assurer Standard Life are investigating ideas which could give defined contribution pension members improved flexibility and security in their retirement benefits.
News
Polish pension funds reverse assets decline

2007-10-12T15:00:00Z

[16:00 CEST 12-10] POLAND – Assets in the 15 mandatory second pillar pension funds grew by 2.2% over the last month reaching PLN139.3bn (€37.3bn).
News
Watson Wyatt makes first Nordic acquisition

2007-10-12T15:00:00Z

[16:00 CEST 12-10] SWEDEN – Watson Wyatt is buying Oakbridge Consulting, a Swedish consultancy specialising in HR, to grow its Nordic business.
News
Funds need flexibility to compete with Belgium - aba

2007-10-12T14:30:00Z

[15:15 CEST 12-10] GERMANY – Regulations relating to the underfunding of Pensionsfonds are 'too strict' for the retirement vehicles to be competitive in the European market, German insurance experts and pension fund associations have suggested.
News
WHSmith gains £10m from scheme closure

2007-10-12T14:30:00Z

[15:30 CEST 12-10] UK – High street firm WHSmith saw its pension liabilities drop by £10m following the closure of its £770m (€1.1bn) defined benefit scheme, the group has reported.
News
Bpf Meubel appoints ABN AMRO Mellon

2007-10-12T14:00:00Z

[15:00 CEST 12-10] NETHERLANDS - Bpf Meubel, the €1.5bn pension fund for the furnishings industry, has appointed ABN AMRO Mellon Global Securities Services as global custodian of its assets.
News
AP4 signs internal currency manager

2007-10-12T14:00:00Z

[15:00 CEST 12-10] SWEDEN – The SEK214bn (€23.5bn) buffer fund AP4 has hired Per Berglund as new currency and fixed income portfolio manager.
News
Dutch funds review Burma investments

2007-10-11T15:55:00Z

[16:55 CEST 11-10] NETHERLANDS - PGGM, the €86bn healthcare scheme, is considering its position as a shareholder in companies which are active in Burma.
News
Mn Services eyes more fiduciary growth

2007-10-11T15:50:00Z

NETHERLANDS – Global financial heavyweights operating in the Dutch fiduciary market are no threat to local pension providers, asset manager Mn Services has argued.
News
Rümmeli knew of Swissfirst merger

2007-10-11T15:45:00Z

[16:45 CEST 11-10] SWITZERLAND – A confidentiality agreement has surfaced suggesting Roland Rümmeli, former investment head of the Siemens Switzerland pension fund, had insider knowledge of a merger between Swissfirst and Bellevue.
News
DB/DC contribution spread widens

2007-10-11T15:45:00Z

[16:45 CEST 11-10] UK – While contributions to open defined benefit pension schemes have increased steadily over the last three years, those to defined contributions plans have remained at a similar level, reveal new tables published by National Statistics.