UK - The £910m (US$1.4bn) Lincolnshire County Council Pension Fund has hired JLT Benefit Solutions to pursue a manager for a £150m portfolio of alternatives.

US/ASIA - The sale of American International Group's (AIG) asset management and investment advisory group division, PineBridge Investments, to private equity firm Pacific Century Group (PCG) has been completed.

NEW ZEALAND - The New Zealand Superannuation fund invested NZ$212.5m (US$150.8m) in the local downstream assets of Shell through a 50/50 consortium with infrastructure investor Infratil.

US/SWEDEN - Ford has agreed to sell Volvo Cars to Chinese carmaker Geely but the value of the deal will be subject to negotiations on Ford's Swedish subsidiary's pension deficit.

IRELAND - Commodities can exceed equity returns over time while providing a good source of diversification in a scheme portfolio, Hermes head of commodities Colin O'Shea said.

Commodities can exceed equity returns over time while providing a good source of diversification in a scheme portfolio, Hermes head of commodities Colin O'Shea says.

IRELAND - While the concept of fiduciary management and implementing consulting could be very appealing to schemes, it does leave a number of issues unsolved, delegates at the 2010 Irish Association of Pension Funds Investment Conference heard.

AUSTRALIA/CANADA - Australian pension reserve fund Future Fund has terminated discussions with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) regarding their proposal to acquire Transurban Group.

GLOBAL - Pension funds are slowly but steadily returning to the asset backed securities (ABS) market while worthwhile opportunities are becoming more difficult to grab, experts said.

US - Multi-employer plans in the US overburdened by crippling expenses after the withdrawal of member companies may be allowed to merge to save costs and receive help from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. under a new bill offered by a Democratic senator....