It’s funny how quickly things can change. Only two months ago, AMF was widely regarded by the Swedish public as the most trustworthy and credible of all the country’s pension companies. It not only had a solid financial performance but had worked hard on its branding through extensive PR campaigns. Today, the view of AMF is very different.

The UN Principles for Responsible Investment should start throwing out signatories that do not comply with its guidelines.

A working committee has been formed in Finland to evaluate temporary measures aimed at easing solvency requirements for private pension insurance companies.

The Norwegian Government Pension Fund – Global, Fokus Bank, Storebrand and Skandiabanken have all invested in a company that is building Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Länsförsäkringar, the Swedish pension company, has decided to reinvest in hedge funds – an asset class that the pensions company shunned four years ago.

The company decided to stop investing in hedge funds in 2005 because of high fees and to concentrate on adding to its infrastructure and private equity holdings. But it has just made a turnaround and put money into its first hedge fund for four years, a credit opportunity fund run by Swedish Nektar Asset Management.

Gustav Kärner, chief financial officer of Länsförsäkringar, would not disclose the size of the investment, but said that it is “a significant amount”.

The DKr355.6bn (€47.8bn) Danish ATP pension scheme has made two significant green investments in an effort to diversify its portfolio and become robust enough to withstand differing states of the economy.

The DKr180m acquisition of the Upper Hudson Woodland in New York State symbolises ATP’s first move into what is set to be a DKr3bn investment into forestry. The purchase was made via a new ATP Group subsidiary: ATP Timberland Invest.

Fjármálaeftirlitid, the Icelandic financial supervisory authority, has appointed Gunnar Andersen as director-general. Mr Andersen has worked at the Icelandic Social Insurance Administration since 2006, first as the head of fraud prevention and control and then as deputy director-general, resource development and analysis. He has also served as director-general of the European healthcare fraud and corruption network in Brussels. Mr Andersen worked for Landsbanki Íslands (the National Bank of Iceland) from 1991-2003, where his last position was managing director, head of international banking and treasury.

While the investment consultancy at the centre of Sweden’s own Madoff affair denies any wrongdoing, as Caroline Liinanki reports, new evidence suggests that Weavering was known to be a risky investment

Despite tobacco investments providing some relief last year amid the Norwegian Government Pension Fund – Global’s record-low annual results, tobacco producers are one decision away from being excluded as an invesment opportunity. Hjalmar Tjan investigates

In sidelining tripartite social policy negotiations, but going on to win more in a deal following union and public pressure, Finnish PM Matti Vanhanen has suffered a painful political loss, writes Hjalmar Tjan

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

Skandia Liv’s chief investment officer, Hans Sterte, tells Caroline Liinanki why, despite reporting some of the weakest results in 2008, he still plans to diversify the company’s portfolio and why risky bank debt is interesting

The Danish pension fund for early childhood teachers prepares for a risk-averse year, writes Hjalmar Tjan

The Swedish architects’ fund has shed its bad managers and changed management style for 2009. Caroline Liinanki investigates

Caroline Liinanki
Editor

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