Europe

DENMARK - Finanssektorens Pensionskasse (FSP) has doubled its allocation to high yield debt from 4% to 8% of scheme assets.

SCANDINAVIA - Scandinavian pension funds are amongst the top investors in exchange traded funds (ETFs), according to Deutsche Bank.

UK - The Atkins Pension Plan has shifted around 1,700 members to its defined contribution (DC) pension scheme after it closed two of its defined benefit (DB) sections to future accrual, according to MandateWire.

EUROPE - AEGON is working with Citigroup to develop a platform it believes will be the first step in offering multinational companies truly international pensions solutions.

UK - The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has slammed proposals from the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) to change the way liabilities are calculated and reported, describing them as a "kick in the teeth" for firms committed to defined pension...

UK - The £2.2bn (US$4.3bn) Avon Pension Fund and Bath and North East Somerset Council (Bathnes) has placed £250m of entirely new property mandates out to tender, split equally between domestic UK and overseas property.

UK - Nearly half of the FTSE 100 companies amended the mortality assumption of their pension scheme last year adding around £6bn (US$11.7bn) to the index's liabilities, according to Watson Wyatt.

UK - The Pensions Regulator's (TPR) action to impose the first Financial Support Direction (FSD) has been welcomed, although cautiously in some quarters.

ICELAND - The real returns of Icelandic pension funds are expected to be as low as 0% to 1% for 2007 because of poor performing domestic equities, but experts remain unconcerned about the long term health of the funds.

Including: NETHERLANDS - Sustainability specialist appointed, UK - Chair change at PPI, UK - HSBC Multimanager appointment