Europe

UK/US - Franklin Templeton Investments believes US equities are on the verge of an upswing, despite fears about the potential impact of war in Iraq.

UK - Pension funds have failed to produce a positive real rate of return over the last three and five-year periods, new figures show.

UK - The NAPF has dismissed a high-profile survey that shows a negative attitude from boardrooms over key elements of the Higgs Review on corporate governance.

UK - Pension scheme interest in private equity investment has risen from 21%to 30% over the last year, research by JPMorgan Fleming shows.

UK - Investec Asset Management's UK aggressive equities fund outperformed the FTSE All-Share by 6.2% for the year ending January 2003.

UK - Impending war in Iraq and the global economic outlook are preventing investors from seeing the true value of UK equities, Gartmore Investment Management claims.

UK - Aberdeen Property Investors is warning schemes that property returns will drop sharply in 2003 due to falling rents in London and southern England.

UK - FTSE Group has announced the regularly quarterly changes to the FTSE100 and other UK indices which take effect after markets close on March 21.

UK - AXA Investment Managers has unveiled the first in a series of educational guides aimed at pension fund trustees.

UK - Credit rating downgrades over scheme liabilities are putting firms under increasing pressure to close final salary plans, industry experts warn.