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

This plan was interesting to me. The Balanced portfolio has no company stock EFX because it has a negative 5yr Sharpe ratio but it does have 6.3% invested in MGEMX an emerging markets fund from Morgan Stanley. They are both volatile but MGMEX has a much higher return and a positive 5yr Sharpe ratio, interesting. The employee portfolio has 14.6% invested in company stock, their largest holding, and that reduced their 5yr return. The 3 largest holdings in the Balanced portfolio are as usual the stable value fund FMIP2 in the scan, the money market fund FRTXX and the the bond fund PTTRX.

Abercrombie & Fitch 401k (SRP) PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This plan was not helped by company stock ANF and the Balanced portfolio's largest holdings are the stable value fund FMIP2 in the scan at 55.5% of plan and the ever popular bond fund PTTRX at 27.3%. The employee portfolio has less than 1% invested in company stock and their two largest holdings as of 12-31-2009 were the stable value fund and FDIVX a diversified international fund. This small plan has several good funds that are in the 3D scan image and they should have increasing Balanced portfolio percentages over time as the economy recovers.

Nordstrom 401k (PS) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

Compared to last year the Balanced portfolio has increased its APR by about 1% and the stable value fund (SVF.put) now only has 53.9% of the plan. Last year it had 90.8% of the plan. The employee portfolio has 22.7% invested in company stock JWN which is their largest holding. That increased their volatility risk but not their return. A good plan with few changes and with year over year performance improvment.

Potash Corp. 401k (SP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Potash Corp. 401k plan for U.S. employees is remarkably similar to last year. The Balanced portfolio has 6.3% of the portfolio in company stock POT and the employee portfolio has 42.9% of that portfolio in the stock which still has a 5yr APR over 30%. The Balanced portfolio now has a little money in Fidelity Freedom funds but the 3 largest holdings are still the stable value fund FMIP2 in the scan, the money market fund FRTXX and and a short-intermediate Government bond fund FFXSX. I know commodity markets are volatile and Saskatchewan may be the Canadian wild west capitol. The stock is up 33% year-to-date.

Home Depot 401k (FutureBuilder) PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

A lot has changed since the last Home Depot scan 7-31-2008 but not the volatility of company stock HD which still has a negative 5yr APR. The Balanced portfolio now includes several Blackrock LifePath funds and the largest holding is the Blackrock U.S. Debt Index fund FUNDF in the scan with 75.3% of the portfolio in that fund. These Blackrock funds are also in the US Government 401k (TSP) which is the source of the 5yr data in the scan. The SEC 11-k report has no data on employee asset allocation by individual fund.

The plan also includes a Schwab PCRA option for employees who want to select and manage their own portfolio. There was a Schwab 457 PCRA portfolio design scan posted on this site with the September 2010 scans. That portfolio uses Schwab recommended investments options of which there are many.

Liz Claiborne 401k (SPSP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Balanced portfolio this year improved over last year and now has only 53.2% of the portfolio in the stable value fund FMIP2 in the scan. Company stock LIZ had a good 2009 but not good enough to have a positive 5yr APR and the employee portfolio has only 2% in the stock. All in all a good plan but the employee bond asset allocation needs work in my opinion.

JP Morgan Chase 401k (SP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The JP Morgan Chase plan was helped a little by company stock JPM which recovered in 2009 and the Balanced portfolio has a little, 0.9%, invested in the stock. The SEC 11-k report is 141 pages long mostly listing assets in the GIC which is still the largest holding in the portfolio. This year the report does not provide employee portfolio assets by individual investment option and a Unifom portfolio is shown in the 2D scan chart. The 3D scan image has about twice as many holdings as last year and a higher 5yr return 5.11% with a positive Sharpe ratio. It is still a lifeboat portfolio and will be until the capital market line inverts back to positive.