Regions

GLOBAL - State Street Global Advisors' (SSgA) revenue increased 26% in 2006 as assets under management reached a record US$1.7trn in the Q4 2006, compared to $1.4trn in the year-ago quarter.

GLOBAL - Russell Investment Group has responded to a shift in focus in the global investment market by taking its equity indexes global.

GLOBAL - Cara Williams has been named Mercer Investment Consulting‘s new global chief operating officer replacing Jim Hiner, who is retiring after 20 years with the firm.

US - Hedge fund trading volume in European government bonds, emerging markets, and interest-rate derivatives tripled in 2006, according to a report by Greenwich Associates.

GLOBAL - Managed pension funds assets grew globally by 9% from US$17trn by year-end 2004 to $18.6trn the same period in 2005.

EUROPE - Boudewijn van Loen has joined Perennial Real Estate Investments (PREI) as senior portfolio manager, Europe.

GLOBAL - The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) has added two to its Hong Kong and London branches with the appointment of a director and research consultant respectively.

GLOBAL - The decision by AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) to join the Enhanced Analytics Initiative (EAI) for better investment research has raised the initiative's total assets under management to more than US$2trn.

EUROPE - Kas Bank is planning to open a regional office in Germany in an effort to be closer to its German clients.

GLOBAL - Replication could "turn the hedge fund industry on its head" and pension fund demand for such strategies is on the rise, Partners Group has claimed.