Asia

JAPAN - Offshore and foreign institutional investors have become more important to Japanese equity brokers because of their trading behaviour and increased activity in the Japanese equity market.

JAPAN - Despite concerns over funding levels and the need to increase investment returns, Japanese institutional investors are increasing their activity in government bonds, according to research published by Greenwich Associates.

KOREA - Mercer Human Resource Consulting in Korea has entered into a corporate pensions business alliance with the Korea Development Bank (KDB). The agreement has set out the basis for mutual co-operation between Mercer and the Korean bank with the aim...

INDIA - The Indian government is reportedly planning to establish a regulator for the pension fund industry at the start of the new year.

ASIA - The pensions industry in Asia may be spared of the "pensions time-bomb" facing other developed markets due to positive demographics and a propensity to save. According to Justin Pascoe, Asia ex-Japan CIO at State Street Global Advisors (SSgA),...

TAIWAN -Taiwan's US$15bn Bureau of Labour Insurance (BLI), a state-owned pension fund, has awarded its first four international investment mandates worth $400m covering global fixed income and global equities.

JAPAN - About 25% of all Japanese DB plans will be closed to new employees by 2008, Greenwich Associates research has found.

INDIA - BNP Paribas Asset Management will buy a 49.9% stake in Sundaram Asset Management Company Limited, it was announced today.

KOREA - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has recommended DC-based pension reform as a means to to improve labour market mobility.

KOREA - Action by Korean government prosecutors against Hermes Investment Manage-ment may trigger a re-evaluation of the Korean market, the chief executive of the UK fund said in an interview.