U.S. public pension funds may turn to more ‘aggressive’ investment, report says

U.S. public pension funds will likely have to switch to more aggressive investment strategies in the coming years to fill funding gaps despite assets held by sovereign investors having grown to record levels amid the 2021 equity market boom, a new report said.

On average, the difference between assets and liabilities at U.S. public pension funds, known as the “funded ratio,” remains “unsatisfactory” at less than 75%, sovereign investor specialist Global SWF said in a report.

To boost returns, many will likely have to focus on alternative assets, including private equity and private credit, Diego Lopez at Global SWF told Reuters.

“Certain pockets of real assets including logistics properties and infrastructure may also benefit from increased interest, and hedge funds will continue to be an important part of US [public pension funds’] portfolios.”

Assets held by sovereign wealth and public pension funds globally rose to a record $31.9 trillion in 2021, thanks to rising U.S. stock and oil prices, and investments rose to their highest for several years, Global SWF said in a previous report.

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