Europe

UK - Hermes Property Asset Management, part of the BT pension scheme, has bought MEPC's 50% stake in a shopping centre portfolio for £115m.

FINLAND - Analysts expect Finnish equities to post a growth rate of 22% next year.

UK - Pension schemes adopting a passive approach to corporate bond investment could be exposing themselves to more risk.

UK - The Journal of Pension Economics and Finance will host a workshop on ‘The Future of Annuities' on November 11 at the British Academy, London.

UK - SCOTLAND - The £2bn Lothian Pension Fund is to drop Friends, Ivory & Sime from a UK equities mandate but will retain the fund manager for its reo SRI overlay strategy.

UK - Gartmore Investment Management has appointed Shamus Young as head of its global consulting group, based in London.

UK - Sacker & Partners is the latest law firm to join ius laboris, the international alliance of independent law firms.

UK - Assets at the Falcon Property Trust, the fund managed by CB Hillier Parker Investors, have passed the £100m mark.

UK - The London branch of an Indian bank is facing an all-out strike after staff claimed its pension arrangements discriminate against men.

UK - A supply teacher agency is to allow teachers to pay directly into the Teachers' Pension Scheme.