Despite improving financial markets during the second quarter of 2003, Canadian pension plans are not faring much better than they were at the beginning of April, according to Mercer Investment Consulting''s quarterly survey of pooled fund performance.
"The second quarter was better all around, particularly in equity markets, with large cap and small cap, value and growth, performing well. Unfortunately, pension fund liabilities have risen in parallel with the assets because of the falling long term interest rates. Therefore, deficits remain as large as they were at the start of the quarter," said Marcel Larochelle, practice leader for Mercer Investment Consulting in Canada.
Mercer''s Canadian Pension Health Index, a measure of the impact of capital markets on the financial position of Canadian pension plans, remained at 82% since March, and was down 11% from 93% at the same time last year.
"Managers of discretionary pooled funds posted a solid return of 7.4% during the second quarter, the best result since the last quarter of 2001, for a median return of 2.5% after 6 months," said Marcel Larochelle.
Additional results from Mercer''s survey for the second quarter of 2003:
- In most of the main asset classes, the median pension fund manager underperformed the leading index.
- One of the better performing asset classes was Canadian equities, as shown by the return of the S&P/TSX index of 10.6%. Within Canadian equities, all sectors posted positive returns, and the best performing ones were IT and telecommunications. The median Canadian equity manager underperformed the index with a return of 10.0%.
- International equities were just behind Canadian equities, with the MSCI EAFE returning 10.4%. The median international equity manager underperformed the index by 0.7%, returning 9.7%.
- US equity managers in the survey showed a median return of 6.0% in Canadian dollar terms, underperforming the S&P500 by 0.6%. These returns continued to be impacted by the fall in the US dollar; the equivalent return in US dollar terms was much higher at 15.4%.
- Canadian bonds, as measured by the SC Universe returned 5.1% last quarter. Again the median Canadian bond manager underperformed the index, returning 4.9%.
Information on the Mercer universe statistics and on the Mercer Pension Health Index is available quarterly at
www.mercerIC.com.
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