US - The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) says new rules governing the registration of placement agents will improve the transparency in the fund's investment process.

ROMANIA - Romanian private pension funds continued their strong investment performance with both pillars posting double-digit returns over the first three quarters of 2010.

CANADA - The Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada's biggest pension fund manager, isn't ruling out selling more bonds after completing an C$8bn ($7.8bn) borrowing programme three months ago, chief executive officer Michael Sabia said.

IRELAND - The National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission (NPRFC) has underwritten a €5.4bn ($7.4bn) equity capital raising by Allied Irish Banks.

IRELAND - MetLife Assurance has launched its bulk annuity business in Ireland to cater for a growing demand for buyout solutions in the republic.

EUROPE - Institutional investor appetite for low carbon investment opportunities is being significantly dampened by policy changes, research shows.

US - The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has pledged its support to the SEC's new proxy access rules, which are to be challenged in court by US businesses.

US - Former New York state comptroller Alan G. Hevesi told New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office he is willing to plead guilty in connection with a probe of corruption at the state pension fund, according to a person familiar with the investigation....

GLOBAL - More than 800 institutional investors from across 45 countries have now committed to the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), with a record 268 joining in the last year.

GLOBAL - London hedge fund manager Cheyne Capital Management has raised more than $100m for its Event Driven fund since launch a year ago with about half coming from European and UK pension funds.