investment bonds

THE GREEK 'DEFAULT'

Pictet Asset Management has launched a global government bond fund that will invest according to an issuer's fundamentals rather than by region.

Trillions of dollars in fake US bonds have been seized from a warehouse in Zurich alleviating a "severe threat" to global financial security, according to media reports.

European banks could seek up to €1trn in extra funding from the European Central Bank's (ECB) emergency funding scheme in the February auction.

Kames Capital's fixed income team has said quantitative easing in Europe is a must in order to prevent Germany losing its AAA rating.

Invesco Perpetual's Paul Causer and Paul Read have admitted banking exposure has hurt the performance of their £334m Tactical Bond fund, but are sticking with the positions.

The world's largest bond fund, run by Bill Gross, has seen outflows of $17bn over the past year - a time when bond funds as an asset class have seen net inflows.

Last month equity funds in the IMA sectors saw their largest monthly outflow since October 2008, the peak of the financial crisis.

Stephen Snowden has upped risk on the Kames Investment Grade Bond fund by "aggressively" increasing exposure to banks and topping up high yield on the view the bottom of the market has already been reached.

HSBC's Azim Meghji has joined Santander Asset Management as head of credit and manager of the £977m Sterling Corporate Bond fund.