Europe

UK - First State Investments has appointed Vincent Houtteville and Trent Koch as analysts in its global equities team.

UK/NORDICS - The London Stock Exchange has teamed up with NeoNet, the electronic agency brokerage, to offer NeoNet's electronic execution services to Nordic brokers and investors.

UK - Property will continue to outperform other main asset classes despite fears of a crash in the residential market, UBS Global Asset Management claims.

UK - Frank Russell is urging common standards for calculating and presenting performance data during portfolio transitions.

UK - Brewing giant Scottish & Newcastle has blamed poor contracting-out rebates and rising costs for its decision to close its final salary scheme to new members.

UK - Merrill Lynch Investment Managers has won a £75m UK specialist equity mandate from aerospace supplier Goodrich Corporation.

UK/US - Govett Investments is urging schemes to increase their US equity allocations.

UK - Increasing numbers of DC schemes are outsourcing their pensions administration, Jardine Lloyd Thompson says.

UK - Trustees need to open their eyes to technology as an integral part of the administration process, Capita Hartshead told delegates at the recent Pension Forum.

EUROPE - EuroMTS and Euronext have teamed up to launch what they claim to be the first independent and transparent pan-European government bond index.