Regions

GLOBAL - Acorn Life has topped Hewitt & Becketts Irish group managed pension fund survey for the Q3 2003 largely due to its overweight equity position.

EUROPE - Thirty-two per cent of European finance directors are ‘significantly concerned' that pension plan financing will negatively impact on their company's cashflow.

Ireland - Ireland has all the ingredients of an "asset bubble" and Irish equities offer the potential of spectacular returns, according to asset managers.

GLOBAL - South Africa's Public Investment Commissioner (PIC) has taken a swipe at petrochemicals giant Sasol for listing black economic empowerment as an investment risk in its compulsory filings to the NYSE.

EUROPE - The European Commission has directed Belgium, Portugal, Spain and France to end discrimination against foreign pension funds.

GLOBAL - The $154bn California Public Employees' Retirement System has asked federal regulators to reject the latest proposed overhaul of the New York Stock Exchange.

EUROPE - Linklaters has acted for five institutional investors on the establishment of a e1.1bn retail real estate fund through a joint venture with shopping centre developer Sonae Imobiliária Group.

EUROPE - Independent market analyst Datamonitor reports the new EU pensions directive means Germany, Italy and Spain are likely to be fiercely targeted by asset management companies.

GLOBAL - Eighty-seven institutional investors with combined assets of over $9trn - including some of the world's biggest pension funds - are pushing 500 corporate heavyweight companies to disclose information concerning their greenhouse gas emissions....

UK/ Netherlands - The Netherlands-based Blue Sky Group, managers of the pension assets for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, has appointed Janus Capital Group subsidiary INTECH to a $250m (£143m) US large cap enhanced mandate.