Regions

GLOBAL - Northern Trust is in "discussions" with the US Department of Labor (DoL) over allowing multi-national companies to pool their US-based pension scheme assets in tax transparent vehicles based in Ireland and Luxembourg.

NORDICS - Mercer Investment Consulting has expanded its Nordic operations with the acquisition of Sweden-based MPIR Investment Services AB (MPIR) - the second largest local consultant in the Nordics.

GLOBAL - Insight Investment has appointed Mark Ahern, currently head of the institutional client service team, to the newly created role of head of international business development (excluding Europe).

EUROPE - JPMorgan Worldwide Securities Services (WSS) has appointed Benjie Fraser as senior vice president and the new position of head of business development for European pension funds.

AP3 achieved a record total return of 17.9% last year, as fund capital rose nearly SEK32bn to SEK192bn (US$24.4bn).

GLOBAL - Deutsche Bank has promoted Roelfien Kuijpers to global head of Deutsche Asset Management's Institutional business.

GLOBAL - Barclays Global Investors delivered strong investment performance as profits rose 61% to £542m (US$946m) in 2005, while net new assets under management reached $88bn.

GLOBAL - Schroders today announced an agreement to buy US$2.5bn London-based fund of hedge funds manager NewFinance Capital.

GLOBAL - Commodities can diversify an institutional portfolio more effectively than conventional and alternative asset classes over the intermediate and long term, Credit Suisse has claimed.

SWEDEN - Countries worried about the solvency of their pensions systems could learn from Sweden's notional defined contribution (NDC) pension reform, a World Bank report has claimed.