Regions

Henderson to launch equity funds:

GLOBAL - Institutional shareholders in energy giant ExxonMobil, representing US$55bn in stock, claimed victory this week after record numbers voted in favour of a shareholder resolution against the company's position on global warming.

EUROPE - German financial analysts and institutional investors are calling for greater risk controls for European banking before financial integration becomes a reality.

EUROPE - A new European football index has been created by Dow Jones STOXX to give investors exposure to the European football sector.

GLOBAL - Problems faced by the UK annuity market are found the world over, an international report by Watson Wyatt.

UK/EU - The UK's National Association of Pension Funds reckons EU cross-border pension plans could be reality before August.

Increase in income replacement:

GLOBAL - Chief executive officer of US oil giant Unocal, Charles Williamson, is to approach the company's board of directors following a record shareholder vote against its activities in Burma.

UK/Global - Investment house Gartmore is urging investors to take a second look at the Far East. Neil Rogan, Gartmore's head of international equities, insists that the region's stockmarkets, particularly Japan and South Korea, are set to impress investors...

EUROPE - European private equity investment dropped by nearly one third last year despite strong inflows from pension funds, according to an annual survey from the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA).