Archive for April, 2003

2003 April

Monday, April 28th, 2003
Fixed  Income Large
Cap Value
Large
Cap Growth
Foreign Small
Company
Portfolio
             
Morningstar
Averages for the Universe
n/a 2.69% 5.65% 0.49% 3.20% n/a
             
Stable
Value Option
1.53%          
Wellington
Core
2.25%          
PRIMCO
GIC
1.62%          
Cash 0.41%          
BGI
– Money Market Index
0.45%          
             
Benchmark            
LB
1-3 yr. Govt./Treas.
0.87%          
             
Equity
Index Option (BGI – US Equity Index)
    4.72%      
             
Benchmark            
Russell
3000
    4.87%      
             
Value
Stock Option
  3.75%        
Federated
Stock Trust
  1.84%        
Morgan
Value (separately managed)
  4.82%        
Neuberger
Berman Focus Tr
  12.76%        
Legg
Mason Spec. Invmt. Trust
  8.97%        
Neuberger
Berman Regency
  3.03%        
T.
Rowe Price Value
  1.09%        
BGI
– Value Index
  -0.05%        
             
Benchmark            
Russell
Price Driven (1000 Value)
  3.51%        
             
Growth
Stock Option
    7.97%      
MFS
Instl. Mid Cap Growth
    7.23%      
Turner
Mid Cap Growth
    8.50%      
TCW
Galileo Select Equities I
    13.86%      
Marsico
Focus
    6.09%      
BGI
– Growth Index
    5.80%      
             
Benchmark            
Russell
Earnings Growth (1000 Growth)
    6.25%      
             
International
Stock Option
      1.18%    
Amer
Cent-20th Cent. Int’l Discovery
      3.14%    
Amer
Cent-20th Cent. Int’l Growth
      -1.72%    
Templeton
Instl. Foreign
      1.78%    
First
Eagle Overseas I
      5.26%    
Longleaf
Partners Intl.
      0.70%    
             
Benchmark            
MSCI
All Country World Free Ex US
      1.63%    
             
Diversified
Small Company Stock Option
        3.32%  
MFS
Instl. Emerging Equities
        3.82%  
Royce
Opportunity
        3.80%  
DFA
U.S. Micro Cap Portfolio
        4.92%  
State
Street Aurora
        0.79%  
Janus
Small Cap Value Instl.
        1.67%  
Franklin
Small Cap Growth II
        3.90%  
BGI
– Small Company Index
        4.90%  
             
Benchmark            
Russell
2000 Total
        4.56%  
             
Conservative
Model Portfolio
          2.53%
             
Benchmark            
Conservative
Composite Index
          2.20%
             
Moderate
Model Portfolio
          3.61%
             
Benchmark            
Moderate
Composite Index
          3.12%
             
Aggressive
Model Portfolio
          3.54%
             
Benchmark            
Aggressive
Composite Index
          3.53%

April 2003

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2003
Day Stable Value Value Stock Equity Index Growth Stock Intl. Stock Div. Small Co. Stock Conserv. Portfolio Moderate Portfolio Aggressive Portfolio Retirement Portfolio
01 181.65 232.75 218.63 179.29 149.82 230.42 197.86 205.16 199.90
02 181.64 238.18 224.21 184.46 151.73 234.97 199.63 208.21 203.35
03 181.67 236.31 222.99 184.52 151.94 234.23 199.15 207.78 202.84
04 181.73 236.96 223.40 183.72 152.73 232.75 199.36 207.76 202.77
07 181.72 237.48 223.80 184.18 155.21 234.60 199.51 208.47 203.74
08 181.77 236.35 223.19 183.56 154.34 232.96 199.26 207.87 202.97
09 181.80 233.46 220.35 180.55 154.25 231.71 198.36 206.46 201.48
10 181.81 234.82 221.46 181.59 153.45 232.10 198.76 206.91 201.91
11 181.86 234.53 220.85 181.17 153.63 231.48 198.65 206.70 201.66
14 181.86 238.98 225.01 184.57 154.38 234.99 200.05 208.87 204.13
15 181.90 241.02 226.44 185.13 156.29 236.26 200.63 209.81 205.27
16 181.93 238.21 223.89 183.27 157.06 235.41 199.79 208.81 204.24
17 182.01 241.70 227.24 186.77 157.55 239.60 200.95 210.83 206.56
18 Market Closed – Holiday
21 182.03 241.77 227.04 186.25 157.88 240.47 200.94 210.85 206.68
22 182.05 247.09 231.81 189.95 158.87 244.33 202.59 213.35 209.50
23 182.08 249.81 233.74 191.55 160.14 246.54 203.35 214.63 211.02
24 182.13 247.13 231.91 189.95 159.52 244.91 202.66 213.54 209.76
25 182.21 243.86 228.76 187.27 158.12 242.10 201.68 211.80 207.73
28 182.23 248.40 232.82 190.67 159.59 246.18 203.08 214.12 210.43
29 182.24 249.84 233.63 191.73 160.53 247.22 203.45 214.84 211.26
30 182.30 250.94 233.63 190.88 162.25 248.70 203.67 215.22 211.88
April Fund Performance (in percentages)
0.37% 9.02% 8.12% 7.30% 8.86% 8.71% 3.38% 5.51% 6.71%

Manager Change, Manager Name Change, and New Trading Rules

Thursday, April 17th, 2003

The Janus Overseas Fund has been terminated today with the assets being reallocated to the International Stock Option as follows:

American Century International Discovery 28%
American Century International Growth 23%
First Eagle Overseas 12%
Longleaf International 12%
Templeton Instl. Foreign Equities 25%
Total 100%

Termination was due to one and three year under-performance and recent manager changes for the Janus Overseas Fund.

Manager Name Change

Effective 4/18/03, the name of Berger Small Cap Value Institutional Shares will become Janus Small Cap Value Institutional Shares.

Traders and Transfer Fees

“New Trading Rules”

The Directed Account Plan continues to experience a high level of trading activity, which could be detrimental to the Plan in a number of ways. First, excessive trading is expensive to the option in which the trade is being made, and therefore, costly to everyone in that option. To support daily trading, the end of the day price is given to the participant, even though the actual trade to support this asset transfer is completed at market opening the next day. Any gap in pricing the next day is absorbed by the Plan’s option and everyone in that option as a cost, in addition to the usual transaction expense.

In 2002, the following trading activity was experienced, which could be considered excessive.

  2002 2002
Option Average Size Trading Volume
Value Option $ 125 million $ 589 million
Equity Index $ 97 million $ 537 million
Growth Option $ 91 million $ 271 million
Diversified Small Company $ 108 million $ 639 million

The total commission for the above activity was over six million dollars. Obviously, less unnecessary activity would result in lower costs to the Plan.

A high level of trading activity related commission costs is not the only problem. Large, frequent transactions require a high level of cash to be carried for liquidity to meet the trades. Stable Value assets that could be invested in a longer term fixed income product with higher returns need to be carried in shorter term products with less return to provide liquidity for the high level of trading activity. The traders effect all DAP option returns.

The Directed Account Plan’s Board of Directors resolved at it’s First Quarter 2003 meeting to adjust the Plan’s transfer fee policy in an attempt to discourage unnecessary trading without restricting normal trades for the majority of participants.

Effective July 1, 2003, all trades in excess of twelve per year will be charged a $500.00 transfer fee. The number of trades will be counted from January 1, 2003. The International Option will continue to carry an additional 1% redemption fee for short-term trades of less than 30 days. The proceeds of all transfer fees will be used to reduce the expenses of all plan participants. In 2002, $266,000 was collected and used for Plan expenses.

Rebalancing your portfolio is an important part of the investment process. Twelve free trades a year should be sufficient for that purpose. The Board of Director’s objective is to not restrict your ability to trade or rebalance, but to discourage excessive trading which is not in the best interest of Plan participants.

Twelve free trades a year. Excess trades will be charged a fee of $500.00 per trade over twelve. This new policy will go into effect July 1, 2003.