Laserfiche WebLink
CURRENT INVESTMENT STRATEGY: <br /> The effective rate of return for the recent month on the portfolio increased slightly <br /> to 2.42% due to a mix of investment strategy. During the quarter ended March 31, <br /> 2020 the City started to experience the negative financial impacts resulting from <br /> COVID-19. The 5-year U.S. Treasury rates dropped to 0.38% as of March 31, <br /> 2020. Staff continues to invest in longer-term securities to secure the interest rate <br /> and match maturities with future cash needs. While short-term yields are highly <br /> sensitive to the Federal monetary policy, longer-term yields are more influenced by <br /> growth and inflation expectations. This strategy increased the average days to <br /> maturity (ADM) to 1,103 days as of March 31, 2020 to capitalize the rate cuts as <br /> widely expected. <br /> Additionally, staff is balancing the portfolio's credit exposure to pick up incremental <br /> yields while complying with the City's investment policy's mandate of safety, <br /> liquidity, and yield. Staff will continuously monitor this strategy during the next fiscal <br /> year. <br /> Section 115 Trust Fund <br /> In June 2018 the City council approved the investment of$28 Million of various <br /> reserves into a Section 115 Trust Fund to help smooth the pension liabilities which <br /> are expected to grow considerably due to the reduction in the CALPERS discount <br /> rate from 7.5% to 7%. The investment is made into two separate portfolios, the first <br /> one for $6.7 Million into a Conservative portfolio which is available to pay the <br /> annual unfunded liabilities if necessary. We anticipate this investment to remain in <br /> place for a minimum of three years before being used if required. In February <br /> 2020, Finance staff were authorized to deposit to and withdraw from the <br /> Conservative portfolio an additional amount up to the total annual required <br /> CaIPERS payment. In March 2020, an additional $5 Million was deposited to the <br /> Conservative portfolio. <br /> The second portfolio (Capital Growth) addresses the longer-term pension liabilities <br /> and is currently designed to have an initial investment of$21.3 Million. The focus <br /> of this portfolio is to earn a higher rate of return over the next ten years or so <br /> before we would need to draw upon it. <br /> As of March 31, 2020, the Conservative portfolio's balance was $11.9 Million, an <br /> increase of$4.7 Million, including the $5 Million March contribution, over the <br /> December 31, 2019 balance of$7.2 Million. The Conservative portfolio's <br /> investment return for the quarter ending March 31, 2020 was -2.92%. The Capital <br /> Growth portfolio's March 31, 2020 balance was $19.9 Million, a decrease of$3.8 <br /> Million from the December 31, 2019 balance of 23.7 Million. The Capital Growth <br /> portfolio's quarterly investment return was -15.87%. <br />