Sovereign Wealth
Canada spells out SWF requirements
The Canadian government will block investment by state-owned enterprises, such as sovereign wealth funds, unless corporate governance and commercial standards are adhered to.
GIC could get 9% UBS stake from $9.8 billion loan
The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), a sovereign wealth fund, on Monday said that its Sfr11 billion ($9.8 billion) investment in UBS, the bank, could lead to it acquiring as much as a 9% stake in the company.
Japanese lawmakers want $100 billion SWF
Japanese politicians from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party want to start a $100 billion sovereign wealth fund in order to improve returns on foreign exchange reserves.
UK moves to encourage SWF investment
The British authorities on Tuesday launched a charm offensive in a bid to coax sovereign wealth funds to invest in UK business.
EU and China agree measures on "severe" movements
A meeting between Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, and his Chinese counterpart, Zhou Xiaochuan, has resulted in the People's Bank of China saying it will co-operate with the EU to avoid "severe" fluctuations in exchange…
Abu Dhabi SWF invests $7.5 billion in Citigroup
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund, has bought an equity stake in Citigroup, the world's biggest bank, of up to 4.9% for $7.5 billion it emerged on Monday.
Norway's oil fund makes a loss in third quarter
The market value of Norway's sovereign wealth fund fell in the third quarter, hit by the global financial turmoil and appreciation of the krone. However, the value of the fund passed Nkr2 trillion ($369 billion) for the first time in October.
Russia plays safe with fund investment
Russia's Oil Stabilisation Fund will stick to investing in highly-rated bonds until the fund's restructuring is complete early next year, officials said on Thursday.
US Treasury official voices SWF stability fears
Sovereign wealth funds pose a threat to financial stability, says David McCormick, the under secretary for international affairs at the US Treasury.
SWFs more likely to diversify than central banks
Sovereign wealth funds are much more aggressive in diversifying foreign exchange assets than central banks, says Mansoor Mohi-uddin, the managing director of foreign exchange strategy at UBS, a leading investment bank.
UK business group backs SWF rules
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the United Kingdom's largest business association, has said that sovereign wealth funds should be subject to the same code of self regulation that is being proposed for private equity firms.
China's agency "buys" Central Huijin
"We have bought Central Huijin for $67 billion," Lou Jiwei, the chairman of China Investment Corp, the country's investment agency, told reporters on the sidelines of the 17th Communist Party Congress, the nation's key meeting which is held every five…
Trichet repeats calls for renminbi appreciation
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, has again urged China to allow its currency to appreciate.
SWF mentioned in Virgin bid for Northern Rock
A Middle-Eastern sovereign wealth fund could make up part of Virgin's consortium bid for Northern Rock.
The rise of SWFs is unstoppable
Western governments must accept the rise of sovereign wealth funds as a further sign of a shift in the world economy, according to Gerard Lyons, the chief economist at Standard Chartered, a bank.
SWF growth necessitates political action
Governments must formulate policy on sovereign wealth funds because the amount of state assets under management is likely to shoot up in coming years.
New governance head at Norwegian oil fund
Anne Kvam, a legal director at paper producer Norske Skog, will replace Henrik Syse, as head of corporate governance at Norges Bank Investment Management, the Central Bank of Norway's sovereign wealth fund.
Knut Kjr quits Norway's oil fund
Knut Kjr announced his resignation as head of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which manages the country's oil-fuelled $330 billion pension fund and the bulk of the central bank's forex reserves.
Norway pension fund reports results
The Bank of Norway said that the return on Norway's government pension fund was 2.2% in the second quarter.
Russian fund rakes in $3.4 billion
The Russian Stabilisation Fund, which manages part of the foreign-currency proceeds from the country's oil exports, earned more than R85 billion ($3.4 billion) in the year to 1 July.
ECB's Smaghi: better communication on euro needed
"[The] euro area is fully equipped to manage its own currency ... [but] better discipline is required in the preparation of the euro area's position to ensure that a consistent message is sent to its partners," Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, member of the…
Norwegian oil fund up 1.5%
Norway's Government Pension Fund - Global produced a total return on investment of 1.5% during the first quarter of 2007, which the Bank of Norway said was 0.09 percentage points above the benchmark set by the government.
Sovereign wealth funds 'set to grow rapidly'
The first in-depth investigation into Sovereign Wealth Management, published Thursday 29 March, estimates excess reserves currently held by central banks in emerging market economies at between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion, and suggests that this number…
El-Erian on global imbalances
Mohamed El-Erian discusses how a re-focused Fund can now tackle the big issues facing the global economy