Administration October 3, 2002

CalPERS Issues 2001 Governance, Performance "Focus List"

March 22, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS) bestowed a dubious honor on five US companies - naming them to their annual "Focus List" for poor governance practices and relative financial performance.
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Warnaco, the New York-based manufacturer and distributor of Calvin Klein and Speedo clothing, topped the list, based on poor governance practices and relative financial performance, underperforming its peers by 72% for the five-year period ended July 31, 2000.  CalPERS holds 260,856 shares of the company.

Also on the list were:

  • Circuit City of Richmond, Virginia (CalPERS holds 811,349 shares)
  • Lance of Charlotte, North Carolina (CalPERS holds 269,300 shares)
  • Metromedia of East Rutherford, NJ (CalPERS holds 634,300 shares)
  • Ralcorp of St. Louis, Missouri (CalPERS holds 217,066 shares).

CalPERS “Focus List Companies” were selected from the pension fund’s investments in more than 1,800 US corporations, based on the companies’ long-term stock performance, corporate governance practices, and an economic value-added (EVA) evaluation.

CalPERS is the nation’s largest public pension fund with assets totaling more than $169 billion, providing retirement and health benefits to more than 1.2 million California State and local public employees and their families.

– Nevin Adams   editors@plansponsor.com

For More Information on the Focus List:
http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp .

CalPERS Governance Principles are at:
http://www.calpers-governance.org/principles/default.asp . 

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