15% of Russell/Mellon Master Trust Plans in the Black in Q105
Representing an overall market value of $1.6 trillion and an average plan size of $2.87 billion, the median total fund had a small setback for the first quarter of 2005, returning -0.91%. On a positive note, more than 70% of the plans outperformed a composite benchmark (Russell 3000 Index 50%, Lehman Brothers Aggregate 40%, MSCI World ex-US, 10%) which posted a quarterly return of -1.28%, according to a news release.
“Asset allocation made a big difference this quarter
in the distribution of plan returns across the calculated
universe results,” said Tim Clark, Russell/Mellon
senior client relationship manager, in the news
release “Plans that were more heavily
allocated in US Equity took a greater hit to performance
than plans with smaller US Equity allocations and greater
exposure in the Non-US Equity, US Fixed, and Non-US Fixed
asset classes.”
Non-US Equities was the only asset class with a positive return of 0.23% for the quarter, which slightly lagged the MSCI AC W XUS Index result of 0.33%. Although the median results for US Equities, US Fixed Income and Non-US Fixed Income asset classes were negative for the quarter, all exceeded their respective benchmarks, according to the news release.
The US Equities median result posted a -2.09%, ahead of the Russell 3000 Index return of -2.20%. US Fixed Income and Non-US Fixed Income median results of -0.31% and -0.09%, respectively, exceeded their benchmarks, the Lehman Brothers Aggregate, -0.48%, and Citigroup World Government Non-US, -3.10%.
“Even though the overall first quarter median plan performance was negative, at the Master Trust level it did not surpass the -1.68% return reported two years ago in the first quarter of 2003,” Clark added. “Endowment plans had the best trust fund performance of all, ending the quarter at -0.58%. On a 1-year annualized basis, plan performance remained positive with results ranging from 7.15% to 7.81%, with the endowments universe leading the way.”
The average asset allocation in the US Master Trust
Universe for the first quarter was: US Equity 42%, US Fixed
Income 24%, Non-US Equity 20%, Non-US Fixed Income 1%,
Alternative Investments 5%, Real Estate 3%, Cash 1%, and
Other (Private Equity, Oil, Gas, etc.) 4%.
You Might Also Like:
DOL Prevails in Court Orders, Removing TPA From Acting as Fiduciary for Sponsors
Newport Group to Acquire Part of Evercore's Trust Business
The institutional trust and fiduciary business of Evercore's subsidiary Evercore Trust Company will become part of Newport Group.