Portfolio

Scott Ebner joins State Street in this key role from NYSE Euronext.

Thirty percent of mutual fund owners are willing to take substantial or above-average risk, ICI reports.

ING Investment Management Americas is launching a globally focused fixed-income fund that is expected to outperform market benchmarks by investing in debt securities for its institutional clients, the firm said Tuesday.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, the full-service corporate and investment banking arm of SunTrust Banks, has beefed up its institutional fixed-income team with the addition of six professionals, the firm said.

The State Street Investor Confidence Index reading of the outlook of institutional investors showed a four-point decline in September to 88, down from 92 in August. In North America, the drop was more pronounced; the confidence level fell 7.3 points to 87.9 from August’s reading of 95.2.

The Basel III bank capital requirements proposed earlier this month threaten to eviscerate the supply of eligible investments for tax-free money market funds — an industry already struggling with a severe supply shortage.

Vanguard Group plans to simplify its Target Retirement Funds and certain other funds-of-funds in an effort to improve the products’ international diversification.The Valley Forge, Pa., company plans to replace the funds' three underlying international portfolios with a single broad international stock index fund. Vanguard will also increase the overall international equity exposure of these funds.

Putnam Investments announced Monday it launched a suite of multi-cap equity funds.

Experts say that the new law could push annuities forward.

Vanguard lowered fees on its Nevada 529 as Fidelity adds bank deposit option to its 529 plans.