Pension Fund Indicators 2013 from UBS Global Asset Management analyses investment trends for UK pensions and highlights opportunities in real estate debt and infrastructure.
London, 29 July 2013 – UBS Global Asset Management announces the publication today of Pension Fund Indicators 2013, an industry-leading study of UK pension fund investment. The annual report, now in its 41st edition, analyses the latest trends in investment strategy, backed up by extensive data tracking long-term asset allocation and other relevant statistics, such as funding ratios.
The first chapter, ‘Current thinking in UK pensions’, highlights recent trends in the UK pensions’ industry and the key challenges facing pension scheme trustees. A major theme is the need for both growth and income, with the combined pressures of funding deficits, declining contribution rates and low bond yields making it increasingly difficult for pension schemes to meet their current and future commitments.
Despite these challenges, the current investment environment has also presented new investment opportunities, such as real estate and infrastructure debt. These asset classes have a role in liability management given their long-term, stable income streams that keep pace with inflation.
Ian Barnes, Head of UK & Ireland for UBS Global Asset Management, explained: “Whilst this year’s study shows that pension funds’ allocation to alternatives has stabilised, the impact of bank and government deleveraging has brought new opportunities within the alternatives area, including real estate and infrastructure debt.”
“The current market opportunity suggests that there is a GBP 24 billion UK commercial mortgage funding gap and the OECD estimates global infrastructure requirements to 2030 to be around USD 50 trillion. We believe this market environment presents unprecedented market opportunities for non-bank debt providers and investors. Infrastructure and real estate debt are attractive because of their expected return profiles, risk and broader inflation-linked characteristics, which generally align with the needs of pension funds.
“These are the latest in an ever-evolving range of alternative investments. We expect to see more and more such products made available as market dynamics lead to opportunities for the smart investor. The challenge is to have a robust enough governance structure to take advantage of these investments. For those that do, the benefit could be quite significant.”
Pension Fund Indicators 2013 also explores the following trends in its opening chapter:
- The shift away from DB to DC continues, however concerns remain over the lack of guidance for members, particularly in terms of how much they need to invest.
- The smart beta phenomenon is a helpful reminder for trustees to consider what can be systematised, and what they are paying their active and passive managers for.
- While regulations continue to have clients’ best interests in mind, there may be unintended consequences such as managers deciding against launching UCITs funds, or fees increasing to account for the growing cost of regulatory compliance.
- As the public sector workforce shrinks, local government pension schemes are experiencing drastically falling contribution rates; the situation is exacerbated by members ceasing their monthly contributions.
Key statistics from the appendices include:
- UK pension funds have an estimated GBP2,041 billion in assets under management (as at end 2011 - the latest available data from the Office for National Statistics).
- The OECD weighted average asset-to-GDP ratio for pension funds increased from 67.3% of GDP in 2001 to 72.4% of GDP in 2011.
- Globally, DC assets have grown at a rate of 7.8% p.a. during the last 10 years, while DB assets have grown at a slightly slower rate of 6.6% p.a., according to the latest Global Pension Asset Study (published January 2013).
- The gradual shift towards DC schemes has picked up pace and is likely to continue, but the long tail of DB assets will remain significant for a number of years yet.
Pensions Fund Indicators provides a wealth of educational material for pension trustees and includes chapters on: asset allocation in the presence of liabilities; alternative sources of return; equities; and bonds.
Notes to Editors
For further information or to request a hard copy of Pension Fund Indicators 2013, please contact Emma Wallis and Marina Fraser Harris at Quill PR on +44 (0)20 7466 5053/5055 and emma@quillpr.com / marina@quillpr.com
UBS Global Asset Management
UBS Global Asset Management is a large-scale asset manager with well-diversified businesses across regions, capabilities and distribution channels. It offers investment capabilities and investment styles across all major traditional and alternative asset classes. These include equity, fixed income, currency, hedge fund, real estate, infrastructure and private equity investment capabilities that can also be combined into multi-asset strategies. The Fund Services unit provides professional services including legal fund set-up, accounting and reporting for traditional investment funds and alternative funds.
Invested assets worldwide totalled CHF 599 billion (EUR 493 billion, GBP 416 billion, USD 632 billion) at 31 March 2013. The firm is a leading fund house in Europe, the largest mutual fund manager in Switzerland and one of the largest fund of hedge funds and real estate investment managers in the world.
With around 3,800 employees, located in 24 countries, we are a truly global firm. Our principal offices are in London, Chicago, Frankfurt, Hartford, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Zurich.
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