The buyout by Paternoster of the Lonmin Superannuation Scheme and buy-in by Norwich Union of Friends Provident’s DB scheme are indicative of the current scramble for business which, according to a new report from Lane, Clark & Peacock (LCP), has pushed pricing below the typical UK scheme’s funding reserves. But Pension Buyouts 2008 suggests that today’s bargains may represent a “window of opportunity” for sponsors considering the market. By Martin Steward.

Central European currencies have seen massive appreciation against both the Euro and the dollar, writes Jerome Booth.

Middle Eastern fund manager EFG Hermes is looking to exploit the inefficiencies of the Gulf’s largest market with its new Saudi Equity Fund, which is currently raising funds from European and North American investors. By Peter Guest.

Volatility in equity markets means that quality stocks can be picked up at bargain prices, writes Neil Michael.

Institutional investors could have significantly less money available to allocate to private equity, and may be much choosier where they put it. By Martin Steward.

Emerging local currency strategies may provide interesting investment opportunities, writes John Cleary.

A new report from the Tabb Group has found that, despite the credit crunch, the average size of hedge funds has increased significantly in the last two years. By Peter Guest.

Despite struggling so far this year, the future looks brighter for Asian equities, writes Yong Moon Kim.

Sovereign wealth funds should invest through asset managers rather than directly to avoid political repercussions. By Henry Smith.

The multi-boutique operating model must recognise the benefits of passion, persuasion and persistence to get the best out of staff. By Henry Smith.

It may be fashionable to criticise the Chinese, but at least part of this is born out of the West’s resentment, writes Henry Smith.

Unconstrained investing gives managers the freedom to follow their best ideas, enabling skilled managers to excel, writes Lennox Hartman.

Absolute return funds may be the key to success in the German investment industry, writes Yuri Bender.

Germany’s €540bn investment industry - servicing the needs of an 80m population - is already stifled by well-placed local groups including DWS, Cominvest, and the funds arm of Deka. Troubled markets, fixed income outflows of €30bn over 2 years and a raft of local and European regulations make it even tougher for foreign firms to prosper.

The greatest threat to the global economy could be a widespread shortage of key commodities, writes Burkhard Varnholt.

After a successful few years in Europe, Steve Potter is returning to the US as the new president of NTGI, and believes the company’s conservative outlook is well suited to turbulent markets. By Nat Mankelow.

Returning to his hometown of Chicago after seven years in London, Steve Potter, the new president of Northern Trust Global Investments (NTGI), the $760bn (490bn, £390bn) multi asset class manager of Northern Trust, offers mixed emotions.

“I’m proud to be going back to Chicago – renowned for innovation in financial markets and its global outlook – but it’s been a good time for London and the company since 2001,” he says.

Timo Löyttyniemi, who manages Finland’s civil service pension fund, portrays it as a pension fund locally and an SWF internationally, but would like more freedom to diversify. By Nat Mankelow.

You would think being a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) on the outside and a pension fund on the inside would present identity issues for the €13bn ($20.2, £10.5bn) Valtion Eläkerahasto (VER). But Timo Löyttyniemi, managing director of Finland’s pension fund for civil servants, reckons which hat he wears depends on who he’s talking to.

Interesting and potentially lucrative investment opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region are attracting foreign fund managers, but it is the huge potential in China which may prove to be the long-term prize. By Henry Smith.

Global fund managers are pouring into the Asia-Pacific region in the hope of capitalising on a growing number of lucrative investment opportunities. From India to Australia, joint ventures have been forged with local banks and securities houses to produce and distribute mutual funds in burgeoning retail markets.

Global players eye up Asian fund administration business. By Henry Smith.

Diversification is a recurring theme for institutional investors as risk management looks set to be the dominant theme for the coming year. By Ceri jones.

Germany is a new and expanding market for inflation-linked bonds, with investors attracted by their diversification benefits, and is also seeing a number of private deals in covered bonds. By Nat Mankelow.

The LSE and NYSE/Euronext battle it out for access to Kazakhstan’s expanding capital market. By Nat Mankelow.

Is Spain fertile ground for hedge funds? The Spanish are traditionally more risk-averse than many other Europeans, and the timing of amended regulations which allow the launch of new products has been unfortunate. But some are hopeful.By Martin Steward.

Institutional asset managers adapting hedge-fund techniques to scalable, centralised investment processes are developing a new breed of product platform that offers a spectrum of risk-controlled equity exposures. By Martin Steward.

With over half of investors now using ETFs as asset allocation tools, the wide range of benefits they offer are becoming apparent. By Ceri Jones.

Western Asset’s ability to be extremely diversified sets it apart from other Euro High-Yield Bond managers and has allowed it to survive the credit crisis reasonably well, but all three of this month’s funds are positioned defensively amid fears that the market has yet to bottom out. By Martin Steward.

Using the PartnerEx initiative, with its unique price finding mechanism, Equiduct Trading believes it has created the natural evolution of the stock exchange. By Peter Guest.

In the second of a series of articles on developments and innovation in the e-commerce market place, Rhomaios Ram, global head of e-commerce sales at Deutsche Bank, discusses the relative merits of single-dealer portals and multi-dealer platforms and suggests how the plethora of trading venues that now exist is ultimately good for the client.

With the European Central Bank’s Target 2 Securities platform not expected to go live until 2013, a group of central securities depositories have announced the launch of their own venture, Link Up Market, to cooperate on cross border business. By Peter Guest.

Approaching its first anniversary, the Dubai Mercantile Exchange hopes to build on partnerships to capture the Middle East’s energy market and eclipse London and New York. By Peter Guest.

Carbon funds can provide attractive investment opportunities as the assets are largely decorrelated from equity markets. By Hervé Schunke.