Europe

UK - Pension funds need to be long-term shareowners with bigger stakes in smaller companies, said Oxford Investment Partners director Karl Sternberg.

DENMARK - The recent European Court of Justice ruling on pensions will likely spark increased competition in the pension market, resulting in lower prices and new products for the Danish public, Aon has claimed.

DENMARK - PensionDanmark has yielded a return of €480m in 2006, equivalent to 7% before taxes and investment costs.

UK - The North Yorkshire Pension Fund has appointed UBS Asset Management to manage its new £49m global tactical asset allocation mandate.

UK - The information commissioner has ordered two local authorities to disclose details of their pension fund investments, but this should not have a huge impact on the private equity or pension fund industry.

UK - Pension fund deficits for FTSE 100 companies have fallen to £31.8bn as of 31 January 2007 - the lowest level since records began, Watson Wyatt has claimed.

FINLAND - The State Pensions Fund (VER) posted a return of 7% over 2006, with assets totalling over €10bn at year end.

ITALY - Italian asset managers are being forced to move towards international standards as numerous foreign players enter the market, European regulation takes hold and investors hunt performance.

UK - Morley CIO Katherine Garrett-Cox will leave the firm at the end of March to take up the CIO role at Alliance Trust.

UK - More than half of UK workers plan to retire before 65, despite the fact few would have acquired sufficient funds to do so, Aon Consulting has warned.