Business News in Brief:

Busy week for pension funds

PFA’s 2014 profits
Pensions provider PFA has reported a 21 percent return from its Danish share portfolio over the first six months of 2014: a profit of 2 billion kroner in absolute terms. Its investment division particularly attributed the success to the performance of Novo Nordisk, Danske Bank and Coloplast.

Veolia offloads stake
The French waste management and recycling company Veolia Environnement has sold its 65 percent stake in Danish counterpart Marius Pedersen Group to the Marius Pedersen Foundation for 1.79 billion kroner as part of its debt reduction strategy. The sale means the foundation now owns 100 percent of the company.

Brightpoint got it wrong
An audit by PwC has discovered that Danish IT company Brightpoint Europe overstated its net income for 2013 by 688 million kroner – a miscalculation that will swallow up a third of the profits of its parent company Ingram Micro. Brightpoint listed the amount as receivables, but PwC said it should have been valued at zero.

Keep it in Germany
Pension funds administrator PKA and life insurer Topdanmark have found the perfect buyer for their German residential property portfolio: the German property company Immeo. The 1.8 billion kroner sale price represents a 30 percent profit since the pair took over ownership in 2007. The properties were located in Berlin and Dresden.

US pharma deal
Xellia Pharmaceuticals, a Copenhagen-based pharma company that specialises in providing treatments against life-threatening infections, has signed a deal with US business partner Fresenius Kabi to take over its manufacturing plant in Raleigh, North Carolina. The deal means Xellia now has plants in Denmark, China, Hungary and the US.

Double deal for LD
Danish pension fund Lønmodtagernes Dyrtidsfond has agreed contracts with two US investment companies. Boston-based MFS Investment Management will manage 6 billion kroner in global equities for the fund, while Californian-based Fisher Investments will have 2 billion to play with in emerging market equities.




  • The Lynch Interviews: Fergal O’Byrne

    The Lynch Interviews: Fergal O’Byrne

    English-Australian writer and theatre director Stuart Lynch contributes a monthly column titled “The Lynch Interviews”. In this series, he engages with prominent internationals residing in Denmark or Danish individuals with a global perspective. For April, he interviews Irish playwright and writer Fergal O’Byrne, fresh from an acclaimed season of a new English-language play in Copenhagen.

  • Why your talented internationals aren’t moving up the ladder – and what to do about it

    Why your talented internationals aren’t moving up the ladder – and what to do about it

    Many internationals find it difficult to advance in their new workplaces, and some quietly leave. It’s not because they lack talent. In Denmark, careers are shaped not only by skills but also by cultural understanding, informal networks, and social signals. However, internationals may not be familiar with this system or know how to navigate it

  • The international behind Donkey Republic: how a Turkish systems thinker reimagined urban mobility in Denmark

    The international behind Donkey Republic: how a Turkish systems thinker reimagined urban mobility in Denmark

    Erdem Ovacık, co-founder of Donkey Republic, built one of Europe’s leading bike-sharing companies from Denmark — but success as an international entrepreneur hasn’t come easy

  • Denmark hits 66.2 million overnight stays: what’s fueling the rise?

    Denmark hits 66.2 million overnight stays: what’s fueling the rise?

    In 2024, Denmark saw 1.5 million more overnight stays than in 2023, bringing the total to 66.2 million staying in hotels, holiday centers, campsites, and youth hostels. It’s clear: after COVID-19, traveling is now back on the table. But the question is: why are people choosing Denmark?

  • World Cup in Ice Hockey will face off in Herning

    World Cup in Ice Hockey will face off in Herning

    As in 2018, Denmark will co-host the Ice Hockey World Championship. And once again, Herning and Jyske Bank Boxen will be the hosts. Denmark is in Pool B and starts tonight with a match against the USA, which, given the political tensions between the two countries, may be an icy affair.

  • Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    A Wall Street Journal article describes that the US will now begin spying in Greenland. This worries the Danish foreign minister, who wants an explanation from the US’s leading diplomat. Greenlandic politicians think that Trump’s actions increase the sense of insecurity

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