Europe

UK - More than half of trustees are still keen to buy out their pension scheme liabilities regardless of current market volatility, MetLife research reveals.

UK - The government failed to respond to calls from the UK pensions industry to address a shortage of long-dated gilts when it announced in its pre-Budget report that borrowing was set to soar.

NORWAY - The NOK202bn (US$28.79bn) Kommunal Landspensjonskasse (KLP), one of Norway's largest life insurance companies, has increased its loans portfolio by around NOK5bn will issue more loans to municipalities in the future, MandateWire reports.

UK - JP Morgan's transition management business has expanded its global team and added additional fixed income capabilities.

UK - Consultancy firm ORTEC has confirmed moves to strengthen its presence in the UK, with the appointment of Andrew Slater as managing director of the UK office.

ITALY - Pension watchdog COVIP has intensified its supervisory activity after negative investment results were posted by the majority of Italian schemes.

UK - Average trustee salaries are increasing as the role becomes more onerous but a third of pension funds are still finding it difficult to recruit, research shows.

UK - Pension funds looking to invest in hedge funds should hold off until there is greater stability and current redemptions play their way through the system, Watson Wyatt warns.

EUROPE - European pension funds no longer manage risk, they manage uncertainty, Create Research chief executive Amin Rajan says.

EUROPE - Widespread implementation of pan-European pension schemes (PEPs) is up to ten years away, and current plans are unsuitable for the majority of companies to use, industry experts claim.