Portfolio

Nonprofit organizations are increasingly eyeing global investments as a way to hedge against the market's current volatility, according to the results of a quick poll released by SEI.

Pioneer Investments has migrated its data management to a DataFlux platform through which its portfolio managers and analysts can analyze and monitor information via a single platform and interface, and IT staff can take a more proactive approach to data management.

The Social Investment Forum has elected five new members to its board, for two-year terms beginning Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2011.

Northern Trust Corp. announced Monday that it will cut 450 positions, or about 4% of its workforce, to offset $300 million in third-quarter charges to support its money market funds. This will result in a pre-tax charge of $20 million to $25 million in the fourth quarter, or five cents to seven cents per share.

All asset managers are looking at cutting their budgets next year, according to a survey of 100 firms by SwanDog Strategic Marketing and Financial Research Corp. Two-thirds are looking at cuts of between 10% and 20% and the remaining third are expecting to slash their budgets by 30% or more.

This year's shrinkage in assets under management in U.S. funds could reach 29%, according to Merrill Lynch & Co.

Fidelity Investments announced Monday that its HybridOne platform, launched in June, has attracted $13 billion in assets. The platform is designed for firms with a mix of commission and fee business, which is one of the fastest-growing brokerage segments in the U.S.

Three Named to Board of Money Management Inst.

By overturning a lower court's dismissal of a case against former Columbia Funds executives James Tambone and Robert Hussey, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is permitting the Securities and Exchange Commission to proceed with its market-timing lawsuit against the two men.

David R. Holst, 43, a mortgage broker in Tucson, Ariz., pleaded guilty to gambling $350,000 from mutual fund investor clients. He accepted the charges of securities fraud and filing a false income tax return. Holst admitted to setting up a financial advisory business that pretended to invest clients' money in mutual funds. Instead, he took the clients' money, lost it gambling at a casino, and subsequently doctored statements to make it look like he had created mutual fund accounts for the clients. Holst, who will be sentenced in federal court on Feb. 12, faces up to 25 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines.