Global

GLOBAL- Pension deficits soared by £11bn yesterday alone, as stock markets around the world felt the effects of China's spectacular nosedive.

GLOBAL - Winners of the 2007 Global Pensions Awards were announced at a black tie ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

UK - Currency overlay could play a significant part in pension fund returns, according to new statistics published by Mellon Analytical Solutions.

EUROPE - Projected hikes in pension spending has left Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Slovenia and Cyprus most at risk of losing sustainability of their public finances, a European Comission report has found.

GLOBAL - ING Investment Management reported an €8.3bn increase to €369.3bn in assets under management in the fourth quarter - on the same day the firm's CFO announced his retirement.

CEE - Pension funds in the Czech Republic and Poland are too conservative and risk failing to meet the regulatory required minimum investment return this year, a Standard & Poor's report has found.

GLOBAL - Social infrastructure has been tipped as the next hot asset class, with the large Dutch pension funds expected to lead the way.

GLOBAL - Investec Asset Management has launched an actively managed currency fund targeting pension funds and other institutional clients.

GLOBAL - The Enhanced Analytics Initiative (EAI) expects to achieve its aims and disband "in the next two or three years", said chairperson David Blood.

GLOBAL - SEI saw its institutional assets under management increase by over €4.5bn over 2006, after it brought in 65 new institutional clients.