Asa Gibson

Foresters Friendly poaches Pistarino from Aviva Investors for CIO role

Corrado Pistarino joins from Aviva Investors, where he was most recently head of insurance LDI

LGIM invests £52m in retail and leisure complex in Stafford

The deal marks the final acquisition on behalf of LGIM's second UK Property Income Fund

Israeli insurer buys $300m convertible bond in US real estate investment trust

Clal Insurance Enterprises has bought a $300m convertible bond from Carr Properties

Blackstone poaches New York Life Investments chief and sets $100bn insurance AuM target

US private equity and alternative asset manager Blackstone has set a target to quadruple the amount of assets it manages on behalf of insurance clients

Axa grows Italian retail portfolio again with €46m acquisition

Standard Life acquires £400m UK asset manager

Standard Life's financial planning business 1825 has agreed to acquire Cumberland Place Financial Management with assets under advice of around £400m ($541m)

L&G allocates £350m to UK rolling stock in two deals

LGIM Real Assets has completed two rolling stock deals worth £350m ($474m), taking its total number of rolling stock investments to four

Allianz GI buys remaining 20% of German wind park

Allianz Global Investors (AGI) has bought out the remaining 20% of German wind park portfolio PNE Wind Partners

Folksam expands real estate portfolio and eyes further growth

A look back and forward

The current year was relatively benign for the insurance investment industry. But 2018 holds new challenges. What risks and what opportunities should investors be looking at in the coming year? Sarfraz Thind reports