This will be welcome news for DB pension schemes that are not fully hedged, whose funding positions may well improve off the back of this announcement depending on the response of investment markets. A rise in gilt yields coupled with the prospect of stable long-term inflation usually spells good news for pension schemes.
Charlotte Jones, Senior Consultant at XPS Pensions Group, commented: “Gilt yields have been tracking base rates and rising steadily since December 2021 to reach highs that we’ve not seen since early 2019. In liability terms, this should be good news; rising gilt yields generally mean that the funding positions of schemes which are not fully hedged will improve. However, in the current environment a stable or improved funding position is not guaranteed - with the conflict in Ukraine and inflation concerns continuing, the market remains volatile, keeping trustees and their advisors on their toes”
*Movement in liabilities based on gilt yield movement only, no allowance for changes to inflation or market value of assets. This does not allow for any offsetting reduction in value to hedged assets.
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