Interest Rate Rise and Falling U.S. Equities Contribute to Decrease

NEW YORK, November 5, 2012 — Falling interest rates and a pause in the 2012 U.S. equities rally contributed to a 1.4 percentage-point decline in the funded status of the typical U.S. corporate pension plan in October, according to BNY Mellon.

For the year through October 31, the funded status has declined 1.7 percentage points to 73.6 percent, according to the BNY Mellon Pension Summary Report for October 2012.  

Assets for the typical plan fell 0.7 percent as the equities rally in international markets failed to offset the decline in U.S. markets, BNY Mellon said. Liabilities for the typical plan increased 1.1 percent as the Aa corporate discount rate declined six basis points to 3.72 percent, BNY Mellon said.

Plan liabilities are calculated using the yields of long-term investment grade bonds.  Lower yields on these bonds result in higher liabilities.

"October appears to have been a lacklustre month as investors await the election results," said Jeffrey B. Saef, managing director, BNY Mellon Asset Management, and head of the BNY Mellon Investment Strategy and Solutions Group.  "Investors preferred corporate bonds over Treasuries, which drove liabilities higher even as Treasury yields rose."

The BNY Mellon Investment Strategy and Solutions Group is a division of The Bank of New York Mellon.

BNY Mellon Investment Management is one of the world's leading investment management organizations and one of the top U.S. wealth managers, with $1.4 trillion in assets under management. It encompasses BNY Mellon's affiliated investment management firms, wealth management services and global distribution companies. More information can be found at www.bnymellon.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 $27.9 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.4 trillion in assets under management, services $11.6 trillion in outstanding debt and processes global payments averaging $1.4 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.

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