Canada
Caisse de depot increases local exposure
CANADA - The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has invested an additional C$800m ($813m) in Quebec-based companies and restructured its benchmark to give a greater weighting to local firms.
CPPIB injects capital into airline leasing company
IRELAND/CANADA - The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and other investors will give airline leasing company AWAS an additional $529m to help it expand its fleet.
OMERS returns 12% in 2010
CANADA - Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) saw the value of its assets rise to $53.3bn in 2010, up from $47.8bn a year earlier.
Caisse de Depot has 14% return on infrastructure, equities
CANADA - Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada's biggest pension-fund manager, posted a 14% return on investment last year as it recorded gains in private equity, infrastructure, stocks and fixed income amid a rebound in global markets.
Canadian fund to buy 50% of Europe's biggest retail centre
CANADA - Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has agreed to buy a 50% stake in Europe's largest retail complex, CentrO near Dusseldorf, Germany, for about €700m ($949m), according to three people with knowledge of the transaction.
CPPIB hits C$140bn in assets
CANADA - The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board reached C$140.1bn ($141bn) in the quarter ended December 31 after a return on investments of 3%.
Canada funds return to pre-crisis levels
CANADA - Strong returns from domestic equities have helped Canadian pension plans surge ahead of their pre-financial crisis levels of 2008, research by RBC Dexia Investor Services reveals.
Canada funds recover in Q4
CANADA - Strong stock market returns and a slight rebound in long-term federal bond yields in the fourth quarter allowed Canadian pension plans to make up for most of the losses incurred in Q2, figures from Mercer show.
Flaherty says finance ministers agree on pensions
CANADA - Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he and his provincial counterparts have agreed to create "pooled pensions" which will make it easier for small companies and the self-employed to participate in registered pension plans.
NEWS IN BRIEF
RBC completes BlueBay acquisition; State Street custody hire, Canada's OTPP invests in renewables
Caisse gives C$25m funding to energy firm
CANADA - The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has awarded C$25m ($24m) of financing to Riverbank Power following its merger with Symbiotics Energy.
Caisse may hire 10 people in private equity in 2011
CANADA - Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada's second biggest pension-fund manager, plans to boost staff at its private-equity unit by about 25% next year as it looks to increase investments in its home province.
Canadian funds see decline in Q2
CANADA - Employer-sponsored pension funds recorded their first decline in assets in more than a year in Q2, research shows.
TPR wins Nortel Lehman Bros court battle
UK/US/CANADA - A financial support direction issued by The Pensions Regulator against insolvent companies is an expense of the administration and must be complied with, the High Court has ruled.
OTPP invests in Brazilian bank
CANADA - BTG Pactual has sold a $1.8bn stake to a group of international investors including the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP).
TPR to argue FSD should be treated as admin expense
UK/US/CANADA - The Pensions Regulator is expected to argue in the High Court today that a liability that flows from a financial support direction should be treated as an administration expense.
APG, CPPIB partner to buy retail shops
CANADA/NETHERLANDS - The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and APG have teamed up to buy a 50% in a Westfield Stratford City in London.
Intoll shareholders back CPPIB acquisition
AUSTRALIA/CANADA - Intoll shareholders have voted in favour of the company's A$3.5bn ($3.1bn) acquisition by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
Caisse gives Fratzscher new advisor role
CANADA - The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has appointed Oliver Fratzscher as strategic advisor to the chief investment officer and the president and chief executive officer.
Ottawa shortfall C$65bn higher than previously thought
CANADA - Ottawa's unfunded pension obligations are C$65bn ($64bn) higher than previously calculated, a report shows.
CPP reports 6.6% investment return in Q2
CANADA - The Canada Pension Plan reported a 6.6% return on its investments in Q2 on the back of strong performance by global equities.
State Street hired by Ontario safety board
CANADA - The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario hired State Street to provide custody, accounting, securities lending and investment analytics to C$15bn ($24.3bn) in assets.
Canada's pension fund acquires German shopping centre
CANADA/GERMANY - The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has teamed up with LaSalle Investment Management to buy Germany's Hürth Park shopping centre for €157.3m ($219.2m).
Canada funds up 7.3% over Q3
CANADA - Canadian pension funds saw assets rise 7.3% over the third quarter, buoyed by rallying global markets, research by RBC Dexia Investor Services shows.