North America

US - Acadian Asset Management has launched an emerging markets equities version of its managed volatility strategy and has already secured a $100m mandate from a US pension fund, the firm said.

US - The New York State Common Retirement Fund (CRF) terminated AllianceBernstein and Capital Guardian Trust from domestic large-cap equity mandates worth a combined $2.5bn.

CANADA - Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) saw the value of its assets rise to $53.3bn in 2010, up from $47.8bn a year earlier.

CANADA - Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada's biggest pension-fund manager, posted a 14% return on investment last year as it recorded gains in private equity, infrastructure, stocks and fixed income amid a rebound in global markets.

CANADA - Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has agreed to buy a 50% stake in Europe's largest retail complex, CentrO near Dusseldorf, Germany, for about €700m ($949m), according to three people with knowledge of the transaction.

CANADA - The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board reached C$140.1bn ($141bn) in the quarter ended December 31 after a return on investments of 3%.

US/CANADA - UK risk management firm PensionsFirst has launched a new division to provide advanced risk management services to public and private sector pension plans in North America.

EUROPE/US - Pension funds and other institutional investors are shifting away from traditional equity and bond allocations in favour of alternative asset classes, research from bfinance shows.

CANADA - Strong returns from domestic equities have helped Canadian pension plans surge ahead of their pre-financial crisis levels of 2008, research by RBC Dexia Investor Services reveals.

US - Consultancy firm Towers Watson has named Chris DeMeo head of investments for North America.