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.

Annual Corporate Pension Review - 2017

05/31/2018

U.S. corporate pension plans in 2017 reached their highest funding levels since 2013.  More sponsors may now seek to de-risk their plans with investment strategies that better match assets to their liabilities, likely driving demand for longer-term bonds. Learn more in Conning’s Annual Corporate Pension Review – 2017.


Asset TV Masterclass: Liability Driven Investing - May 2018

05/21/2018

Liability driven investing is a popular choice for defined benefit pension plans. As the market environment, rate regime and tax codes change, how will these strategies navigate 2018? In this edition of Masterclass, four experts discuss how to understand the shifting landscape. 


Pension Funded Status Tracker - April 2018

05/15/2018

Funded levels for U.S. corporate pension plans rose in April, due to positive returns on growth assets and a decline in liabilities, and are up 3% from year-end 2017. Learn more about the trends and drivers in our April Pension Funded Status Tracker.


State of the States - Spring 2018

05/01/2018

Conning maintains its declining outlook on U.S. state credit quality overall, and tax reform may worsen conditions in some cases, but there are bright spots. Our State of the States report May 2018 is the latest in our semi-annual analysis and ranking of all 50 states by credit quality. 


Viewpoint: Combating Higher Volatility with a Managed Dividend Equity Strategy

04/30/2018

Volatility’s return may add risk to insurers’ equity portfolios, but investing in an actively managed strategy of select high-dividend-paying equities may help insurers manage volatility more effectively than a broader passive indexed strategy.


Pension Funded Status Tracker - March 2018

04/16/2018

Funding levels are up at the end of Q1 versus year-end 2017 for U.S. corporate DB plans, but off from their January highs. Learn more about the drivers in our March Pension Funded Status Tracker.


Pension Funded Status Tracker - February 2018

03/13/2018

February’s global equity market retreat led to slightly lower funding levels for U.S. corporate DB plans. However, given the improvement in plan funding since the end of 2017, sponsors may want to consider reducing their asset-liability mismatch. Learn more in our February Pension Funded Status Tracker.


Conning/ACLI Webinar: The Tax Plan Giveth - And Taketh Away: A Tax-Reform Primer For Insurers

03/02/2018

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act is expected to have a significant impact on the tax-sensitive industry of insurance. It is a critical time for insurers to hone their understanding of the latest twist in a business environment that continues to evolve. 


The Tax Plan Giveth - And Taketh Away: A  Tax-Reform Primer for Insurers

02/23/2018

New U.S. tax laws should benefit P/C insurers, freeing up capital for a variety of needs including M&A. They may also drive changes to P/C investment strategies, not just for municipal bond allocations but for bond portfolios overall. Learn more through our webinar.


Pension Funded Status Tracker - January 2018

02/15/2018

Conning’s Funded Status Tracker is a monthly publication that tracks the performance of the average defined benefit pension plan (the “Plan”) of corporate sponsors comprising the Russell 3000 Index.