Regions

GLOBAL - New pollution laws will hit electricity company profits unless they switch to clean energy, fund managers have been warned.

EUROPE - European pension funds have "significantly increased" their exposure to real estate during the past year due to reduced currency risk, according to AXA Real Estate Investment Managers.

EUROPE - Sustained growth of the euro could jeopardise European economic, according to Eurochambres, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

UK/ NETHERLANDS - Unions are threatening legal action over a Dutch firm's plans to oust UK workers from its final salary scheme.

UK/SOUTH AFRICA - Investec Asset Management has tied up with State Street to outsource the latter's institutional administration.

EUROPE -Talks between the Bosnian Serb Republic government and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) on increases to pensions and wages have made no headway, according to a report by the Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA.

EUROPE - Europe's fund management industry is poised for yet another face-lift as unrelenting market conditions continue to batter-down profits.

ASIA - Emerging Pacific markets such as Korea remain "relatively inexpensive" and are likely to benefit from a continued improvement in the US economy.

BENELUX/UK - Russell/Mellon CAPS has appointed Justin Begley as sales manager.

GLOBAL - Pension funds are expected to become increasingly bullish on gold investments following the introduction of an exchange traded fund from the World Gold Council (WGC) early next year.