International Asset Management, the specialist fund of hedge fund manager, has undergone a management buyout to take it out of Fortis Investments. The Belgian group acquired IAM when it merged with ABN Amro’s asset management business in April. By Peter Quest.

The ECB is right to raise interest rates, ensuring inflation expectations do not take off, writes Raj Shant.

The European private equity industry defied the worst of the credit crunch last year, raising €79bn and returning 11.8 per cent on a pooled average basis, net of management fees and carried interest, according to newly-released figures from the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA), Perep Analytics and Thomson Reuters. By Martin Steward.

A US recession now seems inevitable; the question is just how bad things will get. But there are bargains to be had in every bear market, writes Angus Campbell.

Asset managers have to ensure that the default fund option in defined contribution pension schemes must be simple to understand but not simplistic in approach. By Henry Smith.

Brazil has been a success story for investors, but vast improvements could still be made to the country’s economy, writes John Cleary.

Pension funds are prepared to put their weight behind ethically active managers according to a new survey commissioned by KPMG into attitudes towards the Hedge Fund Standards Board (HFSB) best practice standards. By Martin Steward.

Indian growth may slow in the short to medium term, but the long term picture is a healthy one, writes Vinay Gairola.

US institutions surveyed by Greenwich Associates and Global Custodian in October 2007 found 23 per cent planning to increase their hedge fund allocations by 2010 and only 2 per cent set to reduce them. By Martin Steward.

Trustees and members of defined contribution pension schemes need to be better educated to stop a mis-selling scandal becoming a reality, writes Henry Smith.

Following the collapse of real gilt yields in recent months, pension plan trustees are looking for alternative ways to manage risk, writes James Maggs.

Schroders’ appointment to a Romanian mandate will attract the attention of asset managers searching for opportunities for growth, writes Yuri Bender.

Diversification still has an important role to play in fixed income mandates writes Mitesh Sheth.

Armed with an expanded product range and a new strategic alliance, Fortis Investments is aiming to increase its global market share, with China top of the list. By Henry Smith.

Jon Little, vice chairman of BNY Mellon Asset Management, points the way to China and beyond. By Henry Smith.

It is not just pension schemes but the market as a whole which is hungry for the inflation protection and diversification benefits that inflation-linked and indexed products provide. But government debt offices are struggling to issue enough to keep up with investor demand. By Nat Mankelow.

In theory anything that is not cash should act as some kind of inflation protection. But a closer look at two sources of “real asset” returns suggests that true correlation is difficult to achieve, particularly over the short term. By Martin Steward.

Sterling has become a core currency for central banks, with the fixed rate component of the sterling bond market attracting the big investors. By Nat Mankelow.

Internationalising portfolios have pushed currency risk management up the agenda, and in the past it has also proved a rich source of alpha. “Tactical overlays” involve bundling hedging and alpha generation together, but should investors really be thinking of these as distinct activities and awarding separate mandates? By Martin Steward.

Liability-driven investing and the growth of defined contribution platforms have led pension funds into more complex asset classes that require a new approach to transition management. By Peter Guest.

As commodities have a low correlation to equities, long-term investors are attracted to their diversification benefits in volatile markets

Standfirsta. By Nat Mankelow.

Euro corporate bond managers face conflicting pressures from inflation and slowing economic growth. Two funds offering short duration and conservative credit exposure, or semi-passive exposure to a non-financials index, show the diverse toolkit with which allocators can approach the job. By Martin Steward.

BNP Paribas has taken advantage of turmoil in the US financial sector to buy its way into contention in a prime brokerage market that historically has been dominated by local players. By Peter Guest.

Chairman and CEO of the DTCC Don Donahue is bullish about the Code of Conduct on clearing and settlement in Europe and insistent that the US utility’s place in the European clearing landscape will foster competition, interoperability and lower post-trade costs – just like it did back home. By Peter Guest.

It is surprising how little investors know about smart routing given that it is set to become one of the cornerstones of best execution, writes Richard Hills, head of electronic services at Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking.