Range Resources 401k Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Range Resources Balanced portfolio was helped by company stock RRC again this year although like other natural gas companies the great 2009 returns were not as great as 2004 and the 5yr APR was down a bit. The RRC 5yr APR went from 42% to 30%. I should be so lucky. The employee portfolio like last year had company stock as its largest holding at 44.3% of the portfolio which produced a 5yr annualized return of 14.90% with a Sharpe ratio of 0.505. Texas oil and natural gas company profit sharing plans have had a great run the last few years.

Quicksilver Resources 401k PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This company trades natural gas assets and its stock KWK is very volatile as seen in the 2D scan chart. It has a PE over 100 and in the trailing 12 months had earnings of 12 cents per share. In spite of all this the stock managed to have a positive 5yr Sharpe ratio and the Balanced portfolio invested 0.4% of the plan in the stock. The top 3 holdings in the Balanced portfolio are the stable value fund SVF.hpx in the scan, JAOSX and LSBDX which I own also. The employee portfolio has 40.4% of their money in the stock which did nothing for their return and increased their risk by a factor of 10. No one seems to understand that volatility kills compounding. In this case company stock had a average 5yr return of 42.9% but an annualized 5yr APR of only 4.1% with volatility way off the chart at an STD = 94.6%.

Wellpoint 401k (RSP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Wellpoint plan improved a bit year over year. Company stock WLP 5yr annualized return went down even though it had a very good 2009 because 2004 was even better. The Balanced portfolio now has 14 investment options but it is still a lifeboat portfolio. The employee portfolio has 7.5% of the portfolio invested in company stock which did not help. All in all the 3D scan image shows the plan getting healthier and there are several good funds in the plan.

Reynolds American 401k (CIP) PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This plan was helped by company stock RAI and the Balanced portfolio has 4% of the portfolio in the stock. The employee portfolio has 6.2% in the stock and in both portfolios the GIC is the largest holding. However as the 3D scan image shows the remaining equity options in the plan all had poor 5yr returns. The Sharpe ratio performances are in the correlation chart. The plan needs work.

Moody's 401k (PPP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Moody's 401k plan Balanced portfolio has improved thanks to 2009 but the company stock MCO still has a negative 5yr return. The employee portfolio has 6.5% of their money in the stock which did not help. On a positive note their plan has several good funds and a good stable value fund FMIP2 from Fidelity that produced a Balanced fund 5yr return of APR = 5.88% with a dozen investment options in the portfolio.

Alliant Energy 401k (SP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Alliant Energy plan was helped again this year by company stock LNT and the Balanced portfolio invested 4.1% of the plan in the stock. That portfolio has a 5yr APR = 7.27% with a positive Sharpe ratio of 0.90. The employee portfolio invested 14.2% of their money in company stock. This year the emerging markets proxy is SSEMX a fund from State Street an affiliate of the trustee JP Morgan. The government and agency securities are represented by FGOVX.

State Street 401k (SSP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The State Street plan improved a bit over last year but the company stock STT is still not in the Balanced portfolio. The investment options are overloaded with SSgA target date retirement funds and in the scan I reduced them to the 5 US Government TSP plan target date funds. I am not a fan of any of these funds. The Balanced portfolio now has 10 investment options with the money market fund VMMXX being the largest holding. The employee portfolio has 15.2% of the portfolio in company stock which did not help.

United States Steel 401k (SF) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This plan was not helped by company stock X which has very high volatility and it is not in the Balanced portfolio. The plan has several investment options including a stable value fund FMIP2 in the scan which produced a 5yr APR = 4.99% with a positive Sharpe ratio of 0.65. The employee portfolio invested 10.4% of the portfolio in company stock which increased volatility but not 5yr investment return.

Pfizer 401k (SP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

Pfizer is a great American company but its stock PFE has not done well in recent years and is not in the Balanced portfolio. The Balanced portfolio has improved over last year and has a few more investment options in it as seen in the 3D scan image. The employee portfolio has 21.9% of the portfolio invested in company stock. That helped produce a negative 5yr Sharpe ratio but with a small positive 5yr return APR = 1.60%. In the scan the Capital Guardian International Fund is represted by VGSTX and several Northern Trust funds are represented by the index they track.

Edwards Lifesciences 401k (SIP) PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Edwards Lifesciences plan was helped by company stock EW which had a good 2009 and 2008. The Balanced portfolio invested 12.5% of the plan in the stock. I was not able to sort out the employee asset allocation and a Uniform asset allocation was provided instead. A comparison with last year shows a much more diversifed Balanced portfolio as 2009 helped several funds to regain positive 5yr Sharpe ratios which is a measure of risk adjusted return.

Weatherford International 401k (SP) PSDS Scan 12-3-12009

The plan made small changes in the investment options during the year and the Balanced portfolio has improved a bit. The retirement savings trust VRST in the scan is the largest Balanced portfolio holding and the 5yr APR = 5.44% with a nice 5yr Sharpe ratio = 1.23. The employee postfolio has 20.5% of the portfolio in company stock WFT which increased volatility risk by a factor of 5 over the Balanced with the employee portfolio STD = 11.72%.

Travelers 401k (SP) PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Travelers Plan Balanced portfolio has improved over last year with 7.3% of the portfolio in company stock TRV and the portfolio now has investments in 12 options. The employee portfolio has 12.1% invested in company stock with a positive 5yr APR = 3.51% and a positive Sharpe ratio = 0.18. Other than 2009 market changes the plan is about the same as last year.

Williams Sonoma 401k Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Williams Sonoma 401k plan was not helped by company stock even though it had a very good 2009. The stock WSM had a 5yr APR = -7.96 with off the chart volatility at STD = 91.9%. The Balanced portfolio improved year over year with the 5yr APR = 5.03% and low volatility. The largest holding is still the stable value fund SVF.hpx in the scan. The employee portfolio invested 33.1% of their money in company stock producing a negative 5yr APR = -1.52%.

Fiserv 401k (SP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Fiserv 401k plan added a money market fund VMMXX but other than that the plan is the same as last year. The Balanced portfolio has several more funds in the portfolio and looks healthier to me. The employee portfolio has 4.4% invested company stock and 18% invested in the Vanguard Wellington fund VWELX which is their largest holding. It is only 3.9% of the Balanced portfolio, interesting.

Burger King 401k (SP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Balanced portfolio for Burger King has a 5yr APR = 6.44% with the stable value fund VRST in the scan being the largest holding at 55.4% of the portfolio. Company stock BKC does not yet have 5yr data which was a surprise. The employee portfolio has 34% of their money in the stock which had double digit loses in 2009 and 2008. The rest of the employee portfolio did well with a 5yr APR = 5.15% and a positive Sharpe ratio of 0.42 thanks to the stable value fund and 6 other good funds.

Corning 401k (IP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Balanced portfolio is still a lifeboat portfolio but with a few more investment options in the portfolio this year. The employee portfolio has over 20% of their money in company stock GLW which had a great 2009 but is down so far in 2010. That increased volatility more than return. In the scan VGTSX is a proxy for CWI which does not yet have 5yr data.

Altria Group 401k (DPSP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Altria Group has several companies and the stock in the plan is MO which had a very good 2009. The plan added 3 Vanguard funds VBMFX, VPMCX and VHCOX effective 1-1-2010 and they are in the scan. The Balanced portfolio performance improved a bit over last year and has a 5yr APR = 5.65% with a Sharpe ratio of 1.13. I could not sort out the employee asset allocation this year. There is a lot of MO stock in Master Trust B and the other investments are in Master Trust A.