Europe

EUROPE - European portfolio managers could be at risk of not receiving adequate company research from brokers, as their needs may be sidelined by demands from institutional traders.

UK - Norfolk County Council has cancelled a £50m pension administration deal with Capita Group less than half-way through the contract.

UK - The £1.3bn Hertfordshire County Council Superannuation Fund has appointed Standard Life and HarbourVest Partners to manage a £55m private equity brief.

UK/US - Government policy advisers are being sent to the US to look at how its pensions central insurance fund works and identify any pitfalls.

UK - The Pensions Compensation Board is insisting it has a role in the occupational pensions industry despite having no new casework in the past year.

UK - Supermarket giant J. Sainsbury was due to face tough questioning from shareholders at its annual general meeting yesterday over its remuneration report.

FRANCE - Full details of the tender process for the e16 billion Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites (French state pension reserve fund) have been disclosed, along the same asset allocation lines that IPN reported in May.

UK - Architect Skidmore Owings & Merrill has managed to keep pensions and benefits administration costs static despite experiencing a third increase in staffing numbers.

EUROPE - Insignia Financial Group and CB Richard Ellis have formally completed their merger following a positive vote from Insignia shareholders.

UK - The £1.3bn Avon Pension Fund and the £2.5bn London Pension Fund Authority have both gone out to tender for a global custodian.