The administration company for eight Danish occupational pension funds has teamed up with the Industrialisation Fund for Developing Countries to launch a fund that invests in microfinance institutions.

Reeta Paakkinen investigates

Following an anti-climactic conclusion to the COP15 summit in Copenhagen, Denmark’s biggest pension fund is spearheading its own climate change effort. Nick Reeve investigates

Following disappointment with existing alternative energy fund managers, the pension company has launched a renewable energy fund and expects other Danish pension funds to join. Caroline Liinanki reports.

The UK government’s commitment to an opt-out clause from auto-enrolment has forced Danish ATP to rethink its intention to win the personal accounts admin contract. James Redgrave investigates

Denmark’s largest pension fund posted returns of 19 per cent despite global downturn. Spencer Anderson investigates if ATP’s unique strategy could work for other Nordic funds.

Danish supplementary pension fund ATP is one of four rivals competing for the chance to deliver administration to the UK’s Personal Accounts Delivery Authority when auto-enrolment is enforced in 2012. Charlie Kirby investigates

Pension funds in Denmark will up their allocations to both foreign and domestic real estate over the coming year, but have they got the timing right? Spencer Anderson investigates

The increasing focus on cutting administrative costs may have led the industry to ignore growing apathy and a deficit of financial literacy among savers. Hjalmar Tjan investigates

In light of its government’s strong backing for the UNPRI, Danish pension funds have initiated an intra-industry discussion on socially responsible investing, writes Hjalmar Tjan

Still battered from global economic turbulence, many Danish funds have been loath to go public about their declining solvency levels. The widespread drop in equity exposure, however, is no secret, writes Reeta Paakkinen.

With increasing pressure from the public and political arenas, Danish pension funds are fighting back against allegations of a lack of competition, writes Caroline Liinanki.

Investors in Danish equities will be content. According to the latest figures from ABN Amro’s Global Investment Returns Yearbook 2008, Danish stocks returned a respectable 7 per cent in real terms over the course of last year.

Denmark is king, at least according to Aon’s third annual pension performance ranking of 25 of the 27 EU member states. The study, which measures the health of each country’s pensions system, saw Denmark top the table for the second year in a row. Italy fell seven places to finish last.

After half a decade trying to get to grips with interest rate derivatives, Danish pension funds are finally waking up to the prospect of more exotic alternatives, writes Thomas Escritt.

Danish life and pension funds are looking to move away from their relatively large bond holdings in favour of alternatives, according to consultancy Kirstein Finans.

nrpn spoke to four Danish pension funds about a difficult year for domestic returns and where they are finding yield.

Denmark has yet to change its tax legislation to avoid discriminating against life companies based outside the country, despite a recent European court ruling.

A new socially responsible emerging markets fund offers investors both a carrot and a stick to bring about changes in the governance of emerging market companies.

Farmakonomer has topped the performance tables for the second year running, while the architects’ fund has leap-frogged from forty-first position to third. Reeta Cevik examines the results of Kirstein Finans’ Life and Pensions study.

ATP, the €49bn Danish labour market supplementary pension scheme, has withdrawn plans to offer Folkebørsen, the electronic pension savings platform, as an investment option to Danish pension funds.

The second year of Folkebørsen, the Danish electronic savings platform, has started with a boom in emerging market equity funds. The platform, launched in January 2005, currently has assets totalling DKr50bn (€6.7bn). The scheme is managed by ATP, the €48.94bn Danish labour market supplementary pension scheme.

Velkommen til vinterudgaven af Nordic Region Pensions & Investment News, Financial Times Business’ særlige publikation for pensions- og investeringsbrancherne i de nordiske lande, som nu er gået ind i sit andet år.

Folkebørsen, the Danish electronic pension savings platform, is growing steadily after a cautious start. Indeed, the platform has even attracted interest from companies in Norway and Germany who are keen to

introduce similar systems to service their members.

nrpn spoke to four Danish investors about their current and future concerns.