Regions

EUROPE - Investors took heart from positive figures registered by the European Commission this week, showing the first surge of business confidence in the eurozone since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

GLOBAL - Funds investing in the US faced a tough investment challenge over the 12 months to November 1, according to the latest America report comprising analysis of 88 funds just published by Standard & Poor's.

GLOBAL - Ten-year government bond yields have been surging across the board since early November, according to AXA Investment Managers, jumping to 5.1% from 4.2% in the US, to 5% from 4.4% in the UK, and to 4.9% from 4.3% in Germany.

GLOBAL - Credit Agricole Asset Management has launched a new Nordic portfolio aimed at both institutional and retail clients.

GLOBAL - The UK adopting the euro represents one of the biggest investment risks facing the US, according to Heydon Traub, managing director, global asset allocation at State Street global Advisors (SSgA).

EUROPE/UK - Richard Worts has been appointed chief executive and head of marketing of the European operation of AXA Rosenberg Investment Management based in London.

GLOBAL - CIBC Mellon has beefed up its third party fund custody business by snapping up the custody services of TD Bank Financial Group for an undisclosed sum.

DENMARK - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has urged the new Danish government to rethink some of the reforms to its pension system, claiming that the attempt to simplify the system will prove counterproductive to efforts...

GLOBAL - It's early days yet but in International Pensions News' UK league table of recorded mandate wins and losses in 2002, SG Asset Management tops the rankings with one sizeable £400m global active balanced win from the pension fund of Hampshire County...

GLOBAL - State Street Global Advisors' (SSgA) chief investment officer Alan Brown is cautiously optimistic on the outlook for 2002, but has warned that while overall economies will recover this year, the same can not be said for equity markets.