Regions

GLOBAL/THE NETHERLANDS - ING Group beat expectations following a 11% rise in pre-tax Q1 profits for 2002 lifted largely by a strong performance from its insurance unit.

GLOBAL/THE NETHERLANDS - ING Group beat expectations following a 11% rise in pre-tax Q1 profits for 2002 lifted largely by a strong performance from its insurance unit.

EUROPE - European funds should follow US-style tiered management charges to stop small scale investors from losing out, according to fund research company Fitzrovia International.

EUROPE/UK - EU plans which would allow companies to set up cross-border pension funds could come into force by August, the NAPF claims.

GLOBAL - A number of large UK institutional investors, including pension funds, said they would vote in favour of a shareholder resolution at the AGM of US energy giant Unocal following a global trade union campaign.

GLOBAL - Industrialised nations could be facing a bigger pensions bill than official projections suggest, warns a new report.

EUROPE - Standard Life Investments (Standard) is to extend its reach in to the European market for the first time.

GLOBAL - France's BNP Paribas Securities Services [BNP] is to buy Cogent, the global securities and fund administration arm of Australian financial giant AMP, four months after it was put on the market.

GLOBAL - The Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) /Tremont Hedge Fund Index was up 0.79% for April 2002, with emerging markets continuing to produce stellar performances.

Germany - Insurance giant Allianz posted a 70% leap in pre-tax profits for Q1 2002, but was hit by continued weak performance by Dresdner Bank.