Insights

These views and opinions are those of the authors at the time of writing, may be subject to change, are for informational purposes only, and they should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation for the purchase or sale of securities by Conning. The information may not be current and Conning has no obligation to provide any updates or changes. Individual portfolio management teams for Conning may have views and opinions and/or make investment decisions that, in certain instance, may not always be consistent with the views and opinions expressed therein. While any third-party data used is considered reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed.

Pension Funded Status Tracker - February 2019

03/14/2019

The funded level for the average U.S. corporate pension plan rose to 86% in February, up 1% for the month and 3% for the year. Strong U.S. equity performance led the growth in the asset portfolio, while liabilities slipped as the effective discount rate rose 5 basis points. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our February Pension Funded Status Tracker.


Learn More About Global Evolution's Impact Investing

03/12/2019

In this short video you will learn more about about Global Evolution's Impact Investing


Learn More About Global Evolution's ESG Integration

03/12/2019

In this short video you will learn more about about Global Evolution's ESG integration.


Pension Funded Status Tracker - January 2019

02/19/2019

The funded level for the average U.S. corporate pension plan rose to 85% in January, up 2% from the end of 2018. Positive performance across all asset classes led the improvement, tempered by a lower discount rate for liabilities. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our January Pension Funded Status Tracker.


Market Commentary - The 2019 US Growth Checklist

01/22/2019

The downturn that ended a volatile 2018 carried into the new year, but Conning thinks that 2019 will still be a year of growth, albeit at a lower rate than the previous two years


Pension Funded Status Tracker - December 2018

01/11/2019

The funded level for the average U.S. corporate pension plan fell to 83% in December, down 5% for the month and 2% below the year-end 2017 level. A sell-off in global equities led to a decrease in the asset portfolio, while liabilities rose due to a roughly 20-basis-point drop in the effective discount rate. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our December Pension Funded Status Tracker.


Pension Funded Status Tracker - November 2018

12/11/2018

Funded levels for U.S. corporate pension plans held steady at 88% in November, which is 3% higher than year-end 2017. Asset ticked up slightly as most equity markets and U.S. Treasuries outperformed. Liabilities were relatively flat: interest rates slipped but high-quality corporate bond spreads widened. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our November Pension Funded Status Tracker.


New Approaches to Market-consistent Interest Rate Modeling

11/27/2018

Conning’s latest white paper, “New Approaches to Market-consistent Interest Rate Modeling”, examines the challenges of calculating market-consistent embedded valuation under the current macroeconomic conditions.


Pension Funded Status Tracker - October 2018

11/15/2018

Funded levels for U.S. corporate pension plans fell 2% in October to 88% funded, 3% higher than year-end 2017. Asset values fell as equity markets experienced major declines and bonds underperformed, while liabilities also fell, albeit less severely, as interest rates rose and spreads widened. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our October Pension Funded Status Tracker. 


Pension Funded Status Tracker - September 2018

10/12/2018

Funded levels for U.S. corporate pension plans rose 1% in September to 90% funded, 5% higher than year-end 2017. Rising interest rates drove down liabilities at twice the rate assets declined, the latter mainly due to bond underperformance. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our September Pension Funded Status Tracker.