News

Including: NORWAY - Oil fund loses 1.3%; US - Texas TRS loses $25bn; SWEDEN - AP4 invests in infrastructure

The Pensions Regulator has started procurement for IT services providers for its personal accounts responsibilities.

RUSSIA - Russian pensions will increase by over a third by the end of 2009, prime minister Vladimir Putin has pledged.

CZECH REPUBLIC - Czech pension funds' profits fell from CZK3.5bn (US$176.4m) to CZK2.2bn (US$110.8m) year-on-year in the January-September period, according to data released by the National Association of Pension Funds (APF).

CANADA - Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) may bid for private equity assets including those owned by UK's Wellcome Trust Ltd. to take advantage of depressed prices, chief executive officer David Denison says.

US - Top hedge fund managers, including George Soros, have defended themselves against claims their industry contributed to the credit crisis, but showed openness to stricter regulations being introduced.

SWITZERLAND - Swiss economic prospects have improved slightly so far this month, but continue to hover at a very low level, according to Credit Suisse.

GLOBAL - Global Wealth Allocation (GWA) is to restructure, moving part of its business to New York and setting up a presence in Australia for the first time.

US - The call for Congress to provide relief for corporate pensions is gathering pace, with Watson Wyatt warning defined benefit plans could be frozen if the government fails to take action.

THE 12th annual UK Pensions Awards - the single largest gathering of the corporate pensions industry in the UK - will take place at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.