Quarterly Survey of Public Pensions for 2013, Stocks, Bonds, Gov and More

TOTAL HOLDINGS AND INVESTMENTS OF MAJOR PUBLIC PENSION SYSTEMS REACH 

HIGHEST LEVEL EVER, PASSING THE 2007 PEAK2013 QUARTER 1

For the 100 largest public-employee retirement systems in the country, cash and security holdings totaled $2,930.3 billion in the first quarter of 2013, passing the 2007 fourth quarter peak of $2,928.9 billion, and reaching the highest level since this survey began collecting data in 1968.

Cash and security holdings had a quarter-to-quarter increase of 3.4 percent from $2,834.1 billion last quarter, and a yearto-year increase of 6.0 percent, from $2,764.9 billion in the first quarter of 2012.

Earnings on investments totaled $115.5 billion in the first quarter of 2013.

Original content +Bob DeMarco , All American Investor

CORPORATE STOCKS

Corporate stocks reached the $1 trillion mark for the first time in over five years (since the fourth quarter of 2007). They had a quarter-to-quarter increase of  6.7 percent, from $938.8 billion to $1,001.9 billion in  the first quarter of 2013, and a year-to-year increase  of 2.8 percent from $974.7 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Corporate stocks comprised about one-third (34.2 percent) of the total cash and security holdings of major public pension systems for the current quarter.

CORPORATE BONDS

Corporate bonds quarter-to-quarter decreased 3.7 percent from $346.2 billion to $333.4 billion in the first quarter of 2013. Corporate bonds year-to-year decreased 10.1 percent from $370.9 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Corporate bonds comprised less than one-eighth (11.4 percent) of the total cash and security holdings of major public pension systems for the current quarter.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITIES

International securities totaled $591.6 billion, reaching the highest level since this survey began collecting data for international securities in the third quarter of the year 2000. International securities had a quarter-toquarter increase of 3.0 percent from $574.5 billion last quarter, and a year-to-year increase of 7.5 percent from $550.4 billion in the first quarter of 2012. International securities comprised about one-fifth (20.2 percent) of the total cash and security holdings of major
public pension systems for the current quarter.

For more on FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SECURITIES, and CONTRIBUTIONS AND PAYMENTS go here
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