Global

GLOBAL - Have you missed the biggest stories in pensions this week? Find out below, as we list the top five most popular stories on www.globalpensions.com over the past seven days (6 August - 13 August).

GLOBAL - Aegon has reported an increase in underlying earnings before tax increase from €414m ($531m) to €522m in Q2, supported by improved financial markets.

GLOBAL - Almost a third of pension funds and other institutional investors intend to increase hedge fund investment over the next year, research shows.

GLOBAL - Pension schemes are increasingly demanding that funds of hedge funds be located onshore as they are unable to invest in traditional unregulated products, managers have found.

GLOBAL - Axa Investment Managers (Axa IM) has appointed Mercer CIO Tim Gardener as global head of consultant relations.

GLOBAL - Private equity investment in emerging markets is again on the rise, with a 55% year-on-year increase over the first half of the year, research shows.

GLOBAL - Companies in more countries are starting to adopt the two-tier model of defined contribution funding typically found in the US, said Craig Burnett, Mercer's European head of DC.

GLOBAL - Pension funds should be investing at least 50% of their assets in emerging markets, Ashmore head of research Jerome Booth suggests.

GLOBAL - A growing number of multi-national companies are developing global pension committees and policies in order to gain a better grasp on their fund liabilities, says Mercer global chief retirement strategist Bruce Rigby.

GLOBAL - Strategic and tactical asset allocation decisions are converging into "a more holistic process" as investors refine their risk management post-crisis, State Street says.