Europe

UK - Ignis Asset Management is encouraging industry leaders and politicians to debate hybrid schemes.

AUSTRIA - UK-based F&C Asset Management has submitted a potential takeover bid for Austrian asset manager C-QUADRAT Investment.

UK - The UK government is looking into scrapping the compulsory retirement age, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said.

UK - The £889m (US$1.3bn) Dyfed Pension Fund and the £1bn Wiltshire Pension Fund have appointed Prudential UK as additional voluntary contribution provider.

ITALY - Fondo Cometa has awarded two separate investment mandates for an overall value of €620m (US$836.7m) to Unipol Gruppo Finanziario (UGF) and Cattolica Assicurazioni (CA).

EUROPE - Some 41% of pension scheme managers would consider de-risking through a buy-in or buyout in the next 12 months if market conditions are favourable, new research revealed.

UK - Fidelity International chief investment officer Nicky Richards is to depart the group at the end of this month.

EUROPE - The European asset management industry has called for the creation of a standardised pension product across Europe in order to boost personal savings.

UK - Hermes BPK Partners chief executive officer Matteo Perruccio said Europe's draft plans to regulate its alternative investment funds could be a boon to investment consultants if it goes ahead as planned.

UK - Unfunded pension promises made to past and present UK public sector workers now amount to £993bn (US$1.5trn), Towers Watson calculations revealed.