Regions

EUROPE- The funding ratio of European corporate pension plans fell from 74% in 2003 to around 70% at the end of 2004 before contributions despite positive markets in 2004, according to research from JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management.

GLOBAL - Schroders has banded with New York-based European Investors Incorporated (EII), real estate investment boutique, to develop global property investment solutions for institutional and retail investors.

GLOBAL - Dutch finance group ING has completed its sale of Baring Asset Management to US firms Northern Trust and MassMutual Financial group.

GLOBAL - Convention Watch, a new service from EIRIS, enables investors to identify breaches of international conventions on human rights, labour standards, the environment, corruption and landmines in the companies they invest in.

EUROPE - Mellon Financial Corporation has announced the appointments of Jon Little, chief executive of Mellon Global Investments (MGI), and Helena Morrissey, chief executive of Newton Investment Management, as co-chairs of Mellon Europe.

GLOBAL - Substantial reforms to public sector pensions have already taken place, or are expected, in most developed countries, new research by Watson Wyatt has found.

GLOBAL - Barclays Capital has announced it will add Japanese inflation-linked bonds (JGBi's) to its global inflation-linked index at the end of April with an expected weight of 1.2%.

GLOBAL - Growth style investing is poised to make a comeback in 2005, Janus Institutional Asset Management argues.

EUROPE - Fund managers in the UK play the most active role in corporate governance compared with other European markets, according to Morningstar's European Fund Trends survey.

EUROPE - Northern Trust Global Advisors (NTGA), the manager-of-managers business of Northern Trust Global Investments, is looking to expand into the Nordic region and the Netherlands and is currently scouting for tie-ups in the region.