The Markets

Defined contribution (DC) plan participants’ daily transfer volumes remained steady in June, according to the Aon Hewitt 401(k) Index.

The surprising rise in interest rates that began in early May and spiked in June triggered a 2.4% average loss for all bond funds during June.

If bond yields keep rising, and equities and other return-generating asset classes outperform fixed-income, plan sponsors may want to pause and consider glide path strategies.   

Investors withdrew $43.8 billion from taxable-bond funds and $16.4 billion from municipal-bond funds, making June the worst month on record for bond funds in terms of total outflows.

The funded status of corporate pensions improved in June by $47 billion.

The Dietrich Pension Risk Transfer Index, which tracks the relative attractiveness of annuitizing pension liabilities, increased during June.

Exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets decreased by $59.7 billion, or 4%, in June.

A survey from Towers Watson found allocations to alternative assets by pension funds now account for around 19% of all pension fund assets globally.

The funded status of U.S. corporate pensions rose by 3.1 percentage points in June to 89.5%, according to the BNY Mellon Investment Strategy & Solutions Group (ISSG).

If it’s a defined benefit (DB) versus defined contribution (DC) race, DB is in a 180-basis point lead, contends BNY Mellon. 

The combined assets of the nation’s mutual funds rose by $89.1 billion, or 0.6%, to $13.94 trillion in May.

 Sources say they are optimistic about market recovery but predict volatility will be present in the short term.   

A new report from State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) revealed that exchange-traded fund (ETF) investors increased their equity exposure during the first five months of 2013.

The target-date funds from American Funds have what the firm calls a “glidepath within a glidepath.”

The number of 403(b) plans offering automatic enrollment is increasing, but the uptake is still slow, according to a source from The Principal Financial Group.

Alternative mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are being included more frequently in investor portfolios, said a new survey.

The Dietrich Pension Risk Transfer Index increased considerably from May’s value of 85.81 to settle at 88.92 as of June 1.

Investors added another $38.6 billion to long-term mutual funds in May, according to Morningstar, Inc.

Emerging market (EM) equities and fixed income have been the top cash flow fund categories in the United States and globally in the last three years, according to...

The stable value industry has changed since the recession of 2008 to 2009.