Europe

UK - Unite, Britain's largest union, has highlighted pension concerns among its reasons for urging the board of J Sainsbury plc to block a possible takeover by Delta Two Limited, the Qatari-backed investment group.

UK - The European market for exchange traded funds (ETFs) grew by around 60-70% last year, according to Jennifer Grancio, managing director and head of distribution for iShares Europe.

UK - Investment managers at the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) are satisfied with the current strategies deployed, according to the organisation's annual report.

UK - Fears over a looming global credit crunch could derail heightened interest in liability matching strategies from UK corporates, it has been claimed.

UK - The European market for exchange traded funds (ETFs) grew by around 60-70% last year, according to Jennifer Grancio, managing director and head of distribution for iShares Europe.

EUROPE - First State Investments has appointed Danny Latham as head of infrastructure investment for Europe.

UK - Citi has agreed to buy out the Thomson Regional Newspaper Pension Fund.

FRANCE - The Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR) has appointed Nicolas Sobczak, a former executive director at Goldman Sachs, as CIO following the departure of Jean-Louis Nakamura.

UK - Pension funds are working more closely with the companies they invest in, according to a survey released by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF).

UK - Barclays Global Investors (BGI) has lost a £2bn global equity mandate from Barclays Bank UK Retirement Fund (BBUKRF) because it could not provide the fund with the appropriate service in selecting managers.