News

UK - The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) will next Monday launch an index to provide monthly updates on the estimated funding positions of 7,800 defined benefit (DB) pension schemes against their PPF liabilities.

Appealing to the pensions referee; New monthly index will show funding levels of 7800 private pension funds; Carlyle poised to make £4.9bn bid for Virgin Media; ABI joins dispute over C&W pay plan

Rapid sales growth of Exchange Traded Funds across Europe has led Barclays Global Investors to create the new role of managing director and head of sales for iShares Europe.

US - Ohio State Teachers' Retirement System (OSTRS) has invested US$212m in a direct real estate acquisition, according to local newspaper reports.

GORDON Brown has appointed Mike O'Brien to replace James Purnell as pensions reform minister.

CANADA - An investor group led by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) has purchased Canada's largest communications company, Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), for C$51.7bn (US$48.5bn).

INVESTMENT management firms believe the bulk annuity market will grow to £190bn by 2011, latest research by BNY Mellon Asset Servicing reveals.

NETHERLANDS - Fortis Investments has launched seven money market funds targetting Dutch institutional investors, corporates and local authorities with excess cash in Euros.

UK - Large pension funds are still concentrating on investment returns to meet funding requirements according to a new study by Hewitt Associates.

ASHMORE Investment Management has won a $670m (£335m) multi-strategy mandate from the HSBC Bank Pension Scheme.