January 26, 2011
--- The median return of the State Street Universe (SSU) of total plans
rose 5.3% in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the State Street Corporation. ---
The universe earned 12.4% for the year ended December 31, 2010, the company reported.
In 2010, master trust funds greater than $1 billion returned
12.7%, slightly higher than smaller master trust funds, which returned
12.2%. Taft Hartley plans were up 13.6%, with the highest returns for
the year ending December 31, 2010, while Corporate Plans gained
13.1%. Taft Hartley Plans also had the highest returns in the fourth
quarter, up 6.1%. Endowments & Foundations trailed behind the other funds, rising 12.4%.
“Master Trusts posted strong gains in 2010 following the robust
recovery in 2009 and are coming close to recovering the losses
experienced in 2008. Funds with higher exposure to equities did best as
both U.S. and foreign equities continued to perform well,” said William
Pryor, senior vice president and head of State Street Investment
Analytics.
The SSU consists of funds custodied at State Street and funds
provided by the Independent Consultants Cooperative (ICC). It includes
the total plans of a wide range of plan sponsors and the individual
funds that comprise each plan. The approximately 19,000 portfolios in
the State Street Universe constitute a combined asset value of nearly $2
trillion.
Fred Schneyer