The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) and Aberdeen Asset Management announced that they will join forces in an expert partnership in order to deliver high quality information and guidance to the industry about investing in emerging markets.

"Emerging market investments are increasingly dominating the agenda for many institutional investors," says Vince Linnane, chief executive of the PMI, "and with this continued vigour it is more important than ever that pension funds receive the best information and training possible.

"More and more pension funds are considering emerging markets as a good investment bet, however, it's vital they are reminded that no investment is risk free and it is imperative for the good management of their pension scheme that they keep up-to-date and informed in all investment areas, not just emerging markets."

PMI says that by building a relationship with Aberdeen Asset Management they seek to benefit their members and the pensions profession in general by providing expert commentary and demonstrate knowledge in the area of emerging market investments.

Steven Nicholls, head of Aberdeen Asset Management's fixed income client portfolio management team, said: "As developed economies struggle to make headway against a backdrop of tough austerity programmes and high indebtedness both leading to weaker growth, investors' attention has turned firmly to opportunities within emerging markets with lower debt, current account surpluses, and which offer better long-term growth prospects."

The asset manager says that not only should pension funds look at the obvious opportunities from equity investment, but that there are also arguments which support an increasing allocation towards emerging debt both in sovereign and corporate markets.

First published 04.05.12

azeevalkink@wilmington.co.uk