Global

The $1.9bn Dallas Employees Retirement System (ERS) will appoint a manager for its $300m equity real estate investment trust (REIT) mandate on August 14, 2001.

Belgian funds posted an average -0.07% return in 2000, according to the Belgian Association of Pension Funds' latest annual performance report, the third lowest total since the report began 16 years ago.

The $23bn Arizona State Retirement System is planning to dispose of its entire $200m real estate and mortgage portfolio and will begin a search in mid June for a commercial mortgage advisor to conduct the sale.

Friends Ivory & Sime's (FIS) private equity division has appointed Fiona Dane as its new assistant director of fund management.

For the first time the UK's National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has issued a document offering advice on socially responsible investment (SRI).

The hedge fund industry will see more increases in capital allocations from corporate pension plans in Europe than those arising from endowments, foundations and insurance funds, according to Goldman Sachs' Hedge Fund Investor Survey.

Two more senior executives have quit Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM).

Global consultant William M Mercer has expanded into Central and Eastern Europe by establishing offices in the Czech Republic and Turkey.

Investors added $6.9bn of assets to hedge funds during the first quarter of 2001, representing the largest quarterly flow since the first quarter of 1998, according to a TASS Research report.

The number of cross border joint ventures between British and American fund managers with their counterparts around the world is down 50% from last year, according to the latest research from Cerulli Associates.