Posts by River and Mercantile

Article June 8, 2022 US pension briefing – May 2022 Written by River and Mercantile Share Key takeaways Discount rates went up, then down ending the monthly right where they started. Equities had an OK month, with international markets up slightly and US markets typically down. Funded status didn’t change much at all over the…

Pension buyout sales totaled $13.7 billion in Q4 2020, which represents the highest quarterly sales since Q4 2012 and a 21% increase from Q4 2019.

Article May 5, 2022 US pension briefing – April 2022 Written by River and Mercantile Share Key takeaways Discount rates jumped even higher in the month of April, nearly matching the total increase seen in Q1 2022. This was one of the largest monthly changes in discount rates over the last 25+ years. With the…

Article April 6, 2022 US pension briefing – March 2022 Written by River and Mercantile Share Key takeaways Discount rates continued to push higher during March largely due to increases in Treasury yields. Even with the war in Eastern Europe, equity markets, while volatile, ended the month in positive territory. The significant rise in discount…

Pension buyout sales totaled $13.7 billion in Q4 2020, which represents the highest quarterly sales since Q4 2012 and a 21% increase from Q4 2019.

Article March 7, 2022 US pension briefing – February 2022 Written by River and Mercantile Share Key takeaways Equity returns were negative again in February; the yield curve flattened over the month and saw rates rise over all maturities. Credit spreads widened also as investors flocked towards safe haven assets with growing political conflict in…

Article February 8, 2022 US pension briefing – January 2022 Written by River and Mercantile Share Key takeaways Discount rates rose sharply as Treasury yields increased across the entire yield curve and credit spreads widened. Equity returns were negative for the month due to ongoing uncertainty regarding Fed rate hikes, inflation, and political conflicts. While…