Regions

GLOBAL - Pension funds are likely to increase their allocation to Asia as the region seems poised for a sustained upturn, according to investment managers.

EUROPE - Dutch companies have reported reconsidering their current financial relationship with their pension funds in light of new accounting standards.

EUROPE - The government appointee responsible for Austria's capital markets, Dr Richard Schenz, has said he expects to see a shift of funds managed under the country's state supported private pension scheme, the Zukunftsvorsorge, into eastern Europe when...

EUROPE - Finnish pension assets rose to a total E78.6bn by the end of 2003, according to TELA, the Finnish Pension Alliance, an increase of E7.7bn over the previous year.

EUROPE - Belgian pension funds produced an average weighted return of 9.87% in 2003, according to a sample survey from the Belgian Association of Pension Funds (ABIP).

EUROPE - Confusion and hesitancy surround the implementation of EU legislation regarding harmonised, pan-European investment funds as member states await the outcome of discussions before releasing detailed guidelines.

GLOBAL - Asian institutional investors are most bullish on Taiwanese shares, with an average 15.4% rate-of-return expectation, according to Greenwich Associates.

GLOBAL - Global markets should provide reasonable returns during the rest of 2004 but schemes must be prepared to bear risk, Standard Life Investment warns.

EUROPE - European life insurers face a combined R100bn shortfall when measured against Solvency II capital requirements, according to a report from Mercer Oliver Wyman.

EUROPE - The European Commission has said that Europe must put an end to the practice of using early retirement to restructure businesses.