Regions

GLOBAL - Assets under management at the Mellon Financial Corporation increased by 11% in the first quarter of 2006, achieving a record US$808bn by end March, according to the firm.

GLOBAL - State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) has recorded US$1.5 in assets under management in the 2006 first quarter, up 12% compared to $1.4trn on the previous year.

US - Indonesia has been added to the list of permissible emerging equity markets that the US$208bn CalPERS pension fund is able to invest in.

GLOBAL - An IMF report, released yesterday, on the credit derivatives market has been hailed by pensions experts as an important step forward in reassuring pension funds as to the use of the rapidly growing asset class.

GLOBAL - Record trading volumes for 2005 on the FXall online foreign exchange platform were boosted by strong growth in trading from asset managers and pension funds, up 80% on March 2005, according to the firm.

GLOBAL - Pension funds are demanding greater transparency from the private equity industry with regard to reporting and valuation of underlying assets as institutional investment in the asset class soars.

GLOBAL - Pension funds should allocate to commodities right now and not be put off by high prices, because prices will only get higher, a Schroders manager has advised.

EUROPE - The European Federation for Retirement Provision (EFRP) has expressed disappointment at some European Union member states who it believed have been "dragging their feet" in transposing the Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORPs)...

EUROPE - Europe has made a visionary step to require the use of the IFRS accounting standard, now its application must be scrutinised to ensure companies reap maximum benefit, European commissioner Charlie McCreevy (pictured) has said.

GLOBAL - Pension funds continue to see long term value in Eastern European markets, and were not among those investors who sold off in reaction to recent volatility, said Baring Asset Management marketing director Ian Pascal.