Regions

GLOBAL - Fund managers have been warned to be wary of British insurance stock because of the financial impact of ongoing asbestos claims.

GLOBAL - Managed futures funds registered the worst results in March after posting stellar returns since the start of the year, according to the CSFB/Tremont Hedge Fund Index.

EUROPE - A leading financial commentator has warned investors to monitor developments in Germany very closely this year.

EUROPE - A leading fund manager has said he expects that Europe ex-UK will remain negative over the medium to long-term despite a brief rally following the outbreak of war.

GLOBAL - The State of Wisconsin Investment Board will use Institutional Shareholder Services' Corporate Governance Quotient (CGQ) product in its investment research and portfolio management.

GLOBAL - Multinational giant British American Tobacco and engineering group Mayflower face pension fund protests over the "unacceptable" use of shareholder funds to finance political donations.

GLOBAL - Schemes are being urged to take an overweight position in commodities until the end of the war in Iraq.

GLOBAL - After Australia beat England at soccer, cricket, tennis and rugby, morale in England has not been helped by claims that the UK pension system is 12 years behind Australia in terms of its development and sophistication.

EUROPE - Fortis Investment Management has launched its first managed synthetic collateralised debt obligation (CDO), which already has two European pension fund clients.

SOUTH AFRICA - Opposition parties have applauded the latest budget from South African finance minister Trevor Manuel, who has announced a sweeping overhaul of the country's decades-old exchange control regime and a reduction in the retirement fund tax...