Asia

JAPAN - Institutional investors must retain consistent exposure and seek out core funds with good risk-adjusted performance in order to take advantage of the opportunities the Japanese market offers, according to Investec Asset Management.

KOREA - Korea's major pension funds, well known for favouring government bonds, are now significantly shifting toward equities after a stock market surge during 2005.

JAPAN - Cordea Savills, the European property fund manager, has set up a joint venture fund management company with the Japanese trading house, Mitsui & Co Ltd, and Japanese fund manager, Kenedix Inc, to create property funds for Japanese investors.

SINGAPORE - The Manpower Minister of Singapore, Dr. Ng Eng Hen, has announced the creation of an international advisory panel for the country's S$120bn (US$75bn) state pension scheme, the Central Provident Fund (CPF).

Taiwan - The Taiwanese government should relax restrictions on pension funds and offer more incentives to cope with rising demand from an ageing society for secure retirement options, local experts suggested.

SINGAPORE - The Central Provident Fund (CPF) has set up an international panel that will advise the fund's board on strategic issues and aims to improve members' retirement sums.

INDIA - The Employees Provident Fund, the main government-operated savings plan in India has announced it will cut interest rates to 8.5% for the financial year 2005-2006 to its 40 million participants, according to Watson Wyatt.

JAPAN - Insight Investment has appointed ex-Lazard executive Jeff Tanaka to head up its its new expansion into Japan.

SOUTH KOREA - South Korea has asserted itself as king of the equity derivatives hill with its strengthening economy, a soaring stock market and a population increasingly keen on new investment products.

ASIA - Asian hedge fund activity is expected to heat up this year, with institutional investors, including pension funds, using their clout to get better returns from the companies they invest in.