FTSE

Helen Fowler finds a flurry of activity in alternative indices over the past year reflects how these strategies are becoming much more mainstream

Jonathan Stapleton returns from Romania

UK equity valuations are attractive in the medium term and can add alpha to pension funds, despite the recent volatility in markets, a fund manager says.

Plunging gilt yields currently rocking scheme funding levels could accelerate the number of final salary schemes shutting down to existing members, a pension analyst predicts.

GLOBAL - America's index of leading stocks closed lower last night, amid a global sell-off sparked by another round of weak economic data and increased fear about the eurozone debt crisis, while the FTSE 100 dropped sharply on opening today.

GLOBAL - Asian shares rose for a third day but closed lower than expected as European leaders failed to reveal specific plans to tackle the debt crisis after a meeting yesterday.

GLOBAL - Markets have rallied overnight and this morning as the Federal Reserve announced it would hold interest rates at close to zero until 2013.

GLOBAL - European markets have stabilised after a volatile morning along with overnight falls in Asia and the US.

The FTSE 100 dipped to a low of 4971.46 at 9:34 this morning, before beginning a period of steady growth through the morning - ending slightly up by 12:30.

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