The nation's 100 largest public pensions saw substantial increases in their investments compared to the second quarter of 2013, gaining 14.3%.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's quarterly survey of public pensions, the holdings and investments in the 100 largest public-employee pension systems in the U.S. are at their highest level since the survey began in 1968.
Cash and security holdings amounted to $3.365 trillion vs. $3.218 trillion in the first quarter of 2014. In the second quarter of 2013, the total was $2.945 trillion.
Investment earnings were $129.4 billion for the quarter.
Corporate stocks increased 7.4% from Q1's $1.095 trillion to Q2's $1.176 trillion. They experienced a year-over-year increase of 15.5% from Q2 of 2013. At 34.9%, corporate stocks make up approximately a third of the pension systems' total cash and security holdings for the present quarter.
Corporate bonds, at 11%, make up less of the whole, but still contributed a respectable increase to total holdings. They rose 7.1% from $346.9 billion in Q1 to $371.5 billion in Q2, and year-over-year gained 16.1% from Q2 2013's $319.9 billion.
