Regions

EUROPE - Most European fund managers believe that an American-led war on Iraq would not send global stock markets reeling.

GLOBAL - Multinationals are tightening their hold on localised pension funds in the wake of deficits.

UK/EUROPE - HSBC Republic has opened its capital guaranteed fund of hedge funds to new investment.

UK/EUROPE - Credit Suisse Asset Management (CSAM) has appointed Jay Bhutani as an energy analyst in the European equity research team.

UK/EUROPE - Standard Life Investments (SLI) has closed its private equity fund-of-funds European Strategic Partners II at E639m (£434m).

UK/EUROPE - Russell/Mellon CAPS and managerselection.com are to merge their respective database services.

GLOBAL - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded its estimates for world economies in 2003.

GLOBAL - Private equity group 3i remains bullish at the prospects for the asset class despite reports that investment fell by 50% last year.

EUROPE - Analyst expectations remain "too high" for the European market, Govett Investments claims.

EUROPE/US - US investment manager MFS International has introduced three new European funds open to institutional investors.