Global

GLOBAL - Nomura Asset Management (NAM) is to close its Japanese and Pacific Basin products managed by the international client investment team to new business over capacity issues.

GLOBAL - AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) and BNP Paribas are launching the first every commodity index ETF, due to be listed on the German Stock Exchange on May 17.

GLOBAL - JPMorgan Chase & Co. has combined its investor and issuer services capabilities forming a new global entity - JPMorgan Worldwide Securities Services.

GLOBAL - Pension funds are showing an increasing appetite for currency overlay and Japanese equity with a growing number of mandates being awarded to investment managers, Mercer Investment Consulting has found.

GLOBAL - Watson Wyatt & Company Holdings and UK-based alliance partner Watson Wyatt LLP have signed a definitive agreement to combine the two firms, bringing them closer to their goal of creating a global entity with estimated revenues of more than US$1.1bn....

GLOBAL - New corporate governance ratings have been added to the FTSE ISS Corporate Governance Index (CGI) Series, created to assist investment managers in assessing and managing portfolio risk.

GLOBAL - Barclays Global Investors (BGI) is planning to unveil a new global absolute return fund targeted at smaller pension funds and aimed at generating higher alpha.

THE NETHERLANDS - The Dutch social affairs minister, Aart Jan de Geus , has said that FTK, the new financial assessment framework, is finalised and that he does not anticipate a delay in implementation.

GLOBAL - Barclays Global Investors (BGI) topped the list of Global Pensions' Top 100 Global Fund Managers survey, with a total of US$961.8bn in institutional pension assets under management.

GLOBAL - Socially responsible investing (SRI) practices are increasing in popularity with the majority of investment managers world wide expecting SRI to become a common component of mainstream investment processes within 10 years.