Norway

NORWAY - The Norwegian Government Pension Fund may consider moving into private equity and real estate following its investment strategy review.

NORWAY - Changes may be underway for the NOK1.5trn (€180bn) Norwegian Government Pension Fund's low return volatility investment strategy which is being reviewed by the ministry of finance.

NORWAY - Two Norwegian municipal pension funds worth an estimated total of NOK320m (e38.6m) are seeking a supplier to handle the administration, asset management and underwriting of the schemes.

NORWAY - Norges Bank Investment Management has funded seven new external mandates for the NOK1.5trn (e187.5bn) Government Pension Fund - Global - in the second quarter.

NORWAY - Strong sales of mandatory occupational pensions were not enough to counter the downturn in Norwegian and international equity markets in the second quarter, seeing Storebrand Life Insurance post a value-adjusted investment return of minus 0.4%....

NORWAY - The Hvaler kommune local authority is seeking a provider for its occupational pension scheme.

NORWAY - The government pension fund Global has awarded four new equity mandates and a fixed income mandate as assets under management grew to NOK1484bn (e189.6bn) at the end of the first quarter.

NORWAY - The government has announced plans to increase the NOK1.3trn (e197bn) Global's investments in shares and securities by NOK10bn (e1.2bn).

NORWAY - Pension provider Storebrand has attributed much of its group profit of NOK460m in the first quarter of 2006 to major new contracts in the mandatory occupational pensions market.

NORWAY - Norges Bank governor Svein Gjedrem has defended the government pension fund's (Global) prudent investment strategy, and said it could not run the risk of ending up among the worst performers.