Regions

GLOBAL - The International Accounting Standards Board has issued the official draft of its proposal to eliminate the use of government bonds to determine discount rates.

GLOBAL - The United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) said today three signatories, including the New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS), have decided not to participate in the programme.

GLOBAL - Sovereign wealth funds (SWF) may decide to purchase special drawing rights (SDR)-denominated bonds, creating a wider market for the instrument some have touted as the alternative to the US dollar as the reserve currency.

GLOBAL - Pension schemes are still eyeing opportunistic investments despite the severity of the current crisis, asset managers say.

GLOBAL - Sovereign wealth funds will refocus on liquidity and re-evaluate the allocations of their combined US$3.2trn in assets, particularly their exposure to risk assets, as they emerge from the global financial crisis, a State Street panel said.

US - The New York State Common Retirement Fund (CRF) has hired FTSE Environmental Technology 50 and HSBC Global Climate Change Index to invest a combined US$200m in green equity investments, the pension scheme announced.

US - The Missouri State Employees Retirement System (MOSERS) has become the first public pension fund to comment against the Securities & Exchange Commission's proposal to ban the use of placement agents.

GLOBAL - Corporate pension schemes are lagging behind other categories of asset owners in signing up to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment, a consultant claimed.

EUROPE - Investors have shown renewed confidence to private equity pushing fundraising by European private equity funds up by 18% in the second quarter, data by the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA) revealed.

US - Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, the former chief executive of American International Group (AIG), and five other defendants agreed to pay US$115m to settle a class action suit brought by three Ohio pension funds.