Regions

GLOBAL- Investment managers who have given political donations in the state of New Jersey are set to be banned from managing that state's $68bn pension funds' assets.

EUROPE - The WM Company, the performance measurement business, is planning to make further inroads into continental Europe, starting with the German and Swiss pension fund market.

EUROPE - The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has said that it supports the proposed amendment to the IAS19, which gives companies the option to recognise actuarial gains and losses as they occur in the balance sheet.

EUROPE - The introduction of the IAS19 accounting standard will change the way companies consider their pension obligations and plan design, according to Eric Steedman, a partner at Watson Wyatt.

UK - Opportunities still exist in emerging markets debt despite the recent dip in performance, Axa Investment Managers believes.

GLOBAL - The OECD has said that companies should create separate legal entities for their pension funds to ensure that if a company goes bankrupt, retirement income of its employees remains safe.

GLOBAL - State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) has launched a new strategic asset allocation product for defined benefit plans.

GLOBAL - The United Nations has said that it will work with major institutional investors to develop a set of globally recognized principles for responsible investment by September 2005.

GLOBAL - Allianz, the German insurance giant, said that it will sell its Mexican annuities company to HSBC for US$29m.

GLOBAL - Despite the rebound in the private equity markets, investors are "cautiously optimistic" about their investments and are returning to more realistic valuations and performance expectations, says Mercer.