Europe

NORWAY - The e111bn Government Petroleum Fund is expected to commence investments in real estate in the next couple of years.

UK - State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) has hired Mark Webster as senior portfolio manager to its active equity group from Exeter Investment Group.

UK - OVER 90% of firms have no plans to compensate executives for the tax increase they may face after A-Day, a new survey shows.

UK - Attempts by the ombudsman to amend the Pensions Bill to give his office greater powers than the High Court have been blocked by the government.

UK - Spiralling insurance costs could scupper government aims to boost the number of non-professionals on trustee boards, experts warn.

UK - Reliance Mutual Insurance Society is set to acquire 23,500 with-profit pension and life policies from Family Assurance.

UK - Workers who lost their pensions through company insolvency may suffer reductions in means-tested benefits if they claim the government's £400m compensation package.

UK - Supermarket giant J Sainsbury has revealed "disappointing" take-up of its stakeholder pension despite offering staff a number of incentives to join.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds is calling on the industry to help it set up multi-employer schemes for non-associated companies.

UK - Retail investment house Framlington has won two scheme mandates worth a combined total of £20m, and is looking to build up its institutional client base.