Funded Status of U.S. Pensions Rises to 75.1 Percent in November, According to BNY Mellon

Dec 7, 2011

Higher Rates Lead to Lower Liabilities

BOSTON, December 7, 2011 — Liabilities fell faster than assets for the typical U.S. corporate pension plan in November resulting in a slight improvement in funded status, according to BNY Mellon Asset Management. For the month, the funded status of the typical plan increased 0.3 percentage points to 75.1 percent.

Year to date, the funded status has declined 10 .0 percentage points, according to the BNY Mellon Pension Summary Report for November.

In November, assets for the typical corporate plan fell 0.7 percent as equity markets in the U.S. and other developed markets retreated, according to BNY Mellon.  Plan liabilities decreased 1.1 percent as the Aa corporate spreads widened 27 basis points, the report said.  Plan liabilities are calculated using the yields of long-term investment grade corporate bonds.  Higher yields on these bonds result in lower liabilities.

"The rally at the end of November enabled equities to regain much of the ground that they had been losing for the majority of the month," said Jeffrey B. Saef, managing director, BNY Mellon Asset Management, and head of the Investment Strategy & Solutions Group (a division of The Bank of New York Mellon).  "By the time the dust had settled, we ended up with a very small change in funded status for the month."

Market participants remain focused on the recovery of the U.S. economy, the U.S. budget deficit and the European debt crisis, Saef said. "These factors continue to drive interest rates, equity prices and corporate bond spreads, all of which affect the health of corporate pension plans."

BNY Mellon Asset Management is one of the world's leading asset management organizations, encompassing BNY Mellon's affiliated investment management firms and global distribution companies. Information about BNY Mellon Asset Management can be found at www.bnymellonam.com.

BNY Mellon is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 36 countries and serving more than 100 markets. BNY Mellon is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, offering superior investment management and investment services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has $25.9 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.2 trillion in assets under management, services $11.9 trillion in outstanding debt and processes global payments averaging $1.6 trillion per day. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com or follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon.

All information source BNY Mellon Asset Management as of September 30, 2011. This press release is qualified for issuance in the US only and is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an offer or solicitation of securities or investment services or an endorsement thereof in any jurisdiction or in any circumstance in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful or not authorized. This press release is issued by BNY Mellon Asset Management to members of the financial press and media and the information contained herein should not be construed as investment advice.  Past performance is not a guide to future performance. A BNY Mellon Company(SM)