Study accounts for TIPS, alternatives

PERS logoThe effects of adding TIPS and alternatives to the existing asset mix are being explored in an asset liability analysis conducted for the $53 billion Oregon Public Employees Retirement System by Strategic Investment Solutions.

A presentation from SIS, which looked at five new asset allocation scenarios adding a 5 per cent alternatives allocation, and between a 0.1 per cent and 11.4 per cent allocation to TIPS, showed all except the most conservative mix achieved the actuarial return without accounting for alpha.

Further, reducing the total equities allocation by nearly 10 per cent, achieved through halving public equities and slightly increasing private equities, together with a 5 per cent and 4 per cent allocation to alternatives and TIPS, would yield the same expected return.

A risk/reward analysis was used to point toward an appropriate level of risk/return with the consultant finding generally the Sharpe ratio, or risk/return efficiency was higher for lower return mixes.

With liquidity analysis, and scenario analysis in inflation, deflation, recession and low-return environments, the conclusion was that the ultimate net cost does not suggest taking less risk.

A July presentation to the investment committee will include defining the ALM analyses, refining a potential asset allocation policy (including new asset classes such as the opportunity portfolio, alternatives and TIPS) and adopting a new asset allocation policy.

Sponsored Content

Asset allocation

Asset class target Mix4-1 Mix4-2 Mix4-3 Mix4-4 Mix4-5 current mix
Public equity 46% 19.8% 21.9% 24.2% 31.4% 39.2% 42.9%
Private equity 16% 18.8% 20.7% 22.9% 24.0% 25.0% 19.8%
Fixed income 27% 36.9% 36.9% 31.5% 28.5% 20.7% 25.7%
Real estate 11% 8.2% 10.1% 12.1% 11.0% 10.0% 9.4%
TIPS 0% 11.4% 5.5% 4.3% 0.1% 0.1% 0%
Alts Port 0% 5.0% 4.8% 5.0% 5.0% 5.0% 2.2%
Equity 73% 51.7% 57.6% 64.2% 71.4% 79.2% 74.3%
Expected return 8.61% 7.75% 8.08% 8.42% 8.76% 9.09% 8.61%
Std deviation 12.8% 10% 10.9% 11.9% 12.9% 14% 12.8%
Sharpe ratio 0.44 0.47 0.47 0.46 0.45 0.44 0.44

source: Strategic Investment Solutions

Leave a Comment

Sort content by

GIC claws back half of 20 per cent investment loss

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) has recovered almost half of last financial year’s investment loss in recent months thanks to the revival in global stock markets, after recording a 20 per cent fall in assets in the year ending March 31, 2009. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

USS funded status plunges as assets fall 25 per cent

The £21.7 billion ($35 billion) Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is facing the prospect of having to initiate a recovery plan after a 25 per cent fall in its assets in the financial year ending March 2009 caused its funded status to drop by almost 30 per cent. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Ohio suspends incentive pay for investment staff

The investment department of the $56 billion State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRSOH) will defer the $3.39 million earned in performance-based incentive pay to future fiscal years conditional on certain hurdles, and a compensation study for investment associates will be completed by November. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Infrastructure allocations below 3 per cent “meaningless”

Listed infrastructure drew attention last year for all the wrong reasons. Kristen Paech talks to Bruce Eidelson, San Diego-based director, real estate securities at Russell Investments, about the viability of the asset class post-crisis, and why privatisation in the US could boost US pension allocations. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

SWFs return home after run of cross-border deals

Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) piled a record $20 billion into foreign direct investment (FDI) transactions last year, continuing the big cross-border forays they began in 2005. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Lessons for US investors in Railpen ‘say on pay’ report

A report conducted by the investment division of the ₤15 billion ($24 billion) UK pension fund, Railpen, examines the impact that six years of advisory shareowner votes have had on pay in the UK, leading to some important lessons for contemporaries in the US as they approach a similar regulatory environment and some recent leadership

Previous