- Sweden’s Skandia has invested the equivalent of SEK 470m in a new bond issued by the World Bank.

The so-called Outcome Bond, totalling USD 200m, will finance the distribution of over 400,000 electric stoves in Ghana. The initiative is expected to give over one million people access to cleaner and more environmentally friendly cooking and reduced emissions. Skandia head of sustainability, Gabriel Lundström, said the investment is a “clear example” of how it can create social benefits while building stable returns for its customers.

- Two Dutch pension funds have confirmed their expected transition dates to the new system this week.

BpfBOUW is aiming to switch on 1 January 2026 while Pensioenfonds Detailhandel will move across on 1 January 2027. BpfBOUW said the Dutch regulator, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), still needs to give final approval but the scheme is ready to transition. Pensioenfonds Detailhandel, which previously announced a delay to its original transition date of 1 January 2026, said the new date gives it time to “carefully finalise all preparations and have them reviewed by the regulators”.

- Sweden’s KPA Pension, part of the Folksam Group, has acquired rental properties from CBRE Investment Management in Sigtuna and Lund.

The properties comprise 212 apartments in Sigtuna and 169 apartments in Lund, located in areas with good transport links and close to nature. They are Nordic Ecolabel certified and have been built with a focus on sustainability. Folksam Group property director, Jonas Bjuggren, said the acquisitions are in line with its long-term strategy of “investing in sustainable and secure living environments for the future”.

- Finland’s public sector pension fund, Keva, has purchased central properties from the Student Union of the University of Helsinki for an undisclosed amount.

The real estate company Ylva, owned by the Student Union of the University of Helsinki, organised a tender for the sale of its properties at the start of the year, which Keva won. The property complex comprises the Old Student House, Kaivotalo, Citytalo, and the Grand Hansa complex, including the New Student House. Keva’s co-investors in the project are Mrec Investment Management Oy and HGR Property Partners Oy, which will be responsible for property management and for the development of the property after the transaction. This is a major real estate complex in the heart of the capital.

- The Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority reported a slight strengthening in the solvency position of Finland’s earnings-related pension providers during the third quarter of 2025.

The overall solvency ratio, calculated as pension assets relative to technical provisions, stood at 129.9 per cent at end-September, up from 128.9 per cent at end-June, representing a 1.0 percentage point increase over the quarter. Pension insurance companies recorded an average solvency ratio of 129.6 per cent, while company funds and industry-wide funds were more strongly capitalised, with a ratio of 141.4 per cent.

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