Global

GLOBAL - The newly launched Old Mutual Asia Pacific equity fund has reported a positive return in the first quarter of 2004, with its investment value growing to US$47m (e26.6m).

GLOBAL - The market opportunity for business process outsourcing (BPO) in European asset management will reach US$758m (e623m)by 2006, according to a new report by Datamonitor.

GLOBAL - Japanese companies are beginning to take notice of investor demands for better corporate governance, Isis Asset Management claims.

GLOBAL - Assets managed by the 500 largest pension fund managers in the world increased by 22% last year to a total US$43.3trn (e35.6trn), new research by global consulting firm Watson Wyatt has found.

EUROPE - AXA Real Estate Investment Managers (AXA REIM) has purchased one of Budapest's best-known class A buildings as part of a client-driven move to expand its services into central Europe.

Senior relationship manager Claire Steele has joined Northern Trust's European multi-national pension fund team.

GLOBAL - Bond and equity markets in Europe will "decouple" from and outperform their US counterparts over the next two years, according to new research by ABN AMRO.

GLOBAL - Mercer Human Resource Consulting has appointed Patrick Cosgrave as head of its pensions administration practice.

GLOBAL- Investment managers who have given political donations in the state of New Jersey are set to be banned from managing that state's $68bn pension funds' assets.

UK - Opportunities still exist in emerging markets debt despite the recent dip in performance, Axa Investment Managers believes.