Europe

UK - Network technology firm Spirent has dropped Schroder Investment Management (SIM) from running half its £100m UK pension fund, and hired Capital International in its place.

EUROPE - Zurich Financial Services has launched a new market instrument aimed at institutional investors.

GREECE/UK - F&C has entered the Greek fund management market by teaming up with fellow Eureko subsidiary Interamerican.

UK - Alternative investment house Key Asset Management has launched a new hedge fund aimed at institutional investors and high net worth investors.

UK - London based institutional fund manager Zurich Scudder Investments has undergone a name change and will now be known as Threadneedle Asset Management.

UK - Deutsche Asset Management has closed its North America and Japanese equities desks in London, making an unspecified number of fund managers redundant.

UK - London-based alternative investment house Westbury Asset Management has introduced a commercial property fund targeting institutional and high net worth investors despite recent concerns that the market is slowing down.

GREECE/UK - F&C has entered the Greek fund management market by teaming up with fellow Eureko subsidiary Interamerican.

UK - The £5bn West Midlands Pension Fund has given its backing to proxy voting in Europe by signing up to the European Corporate Governance Service (ECGS), managed by Pensions Investment Research Consultants (PIRC).

UK - The pension scheme of supermarket chain J. Sainsbury plans to extend stakeholder as the only option to new executives joining the company.