Europe

UK/US- Ulrik Walther has joined Pyramis Global Advisors, Fidelity Investment's institutional arm, as senior vice president and head of Europe, Middle East and Asia sovereign institutional business.

US/UK- US-based hedge fund manager GLG Partners has completed the acquisition if Société Générale Asset Management UK (SGAM UK), the French bank's UK long-only business in a £4.5m deal (US$6.7m).

UK- The Pension Protection Fund is considering raising its levy during periods of economic stability to offset lower payments during a recession, its new chief executive says.

FRANCE- The Fonds de réserve pour les retraites (FRR) has doled out €1.1bn (US$1.5bn) in equity mandates to seven managers, though the appointments are a scaled-down version of what the scheme had proposed last year.

NORWAY - The US$329bn Government Pension Fund - Global has unveiled sweeping changes to its ethical investment policy, and will make more than US$3bn available for environmental investments.

Cardano has appointed Frederic Hevras and Michelle Bellwood to its London-based investment management team, based in London.

DENMARK- PFA Pension has acquired Nordic Asset Management in a bid to manage money for institutional investors outside of its existing client base.

A group of major institutional investors has written to the prime minister urging the G20 to support a strong green element in programmes of fiscal stimulus.

UK - Hermes has appointed Bridgepoint to take on the management of Hermes Private Equity's £550m (US$787m) direct investment private equity portfolio.

UK- Barclays is in exclusive talks with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners over the sale of its exchange traded fund business iShares, a source close to the deal says.