Union Pacific 2011 Annual Report Download - page 66

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The investment strategy for pension plan assets is to maintain a broadly diversified portfolio designed to
achieve our target average long-term rate of return of 7.5%. While we believe we can achieve a long-term
average rate of return of 7.5%, we cannot be certain that the portfolio will perform to our expectations.
Assets are strategically allocated among equity, debt, and other investments in order to achieve a
diversification level that reduces fluctuations in investment returns. Asset allocation target ranges for
equity, debt, and other portfolios are evaluated at least every three years with the assistance of an
independent external consulting firm. Actual asset allocations are monitored monthly, and rebalancing
actions are executed at least quarterly, if needed.
The pension plan investments are held in a Master Trust. The majority of pension plan assets are
invested in equity securities because equity portfolios have historically provided higher returns than debt
and other asset classes over extended time horizons and are expected to do so in the future.
Correspondingly, equity investments also entail greater risks than other investments. Equity risks are
balanced by investing a significant portion of the plans’ assets in high quality debt securities. The average
credit rating of the debt portfolio exceeded A+ as of December 31, 2011 and 2010. The debt portfolio is
also broadly diversified and invested primarily in U.S. Treasury, mortgage, and corporate securities. The
weighted-average maturity of the debt portfolio was 12 years at both December 31, 2011 and 2010.
The investment of pension plan assets in securities issued by Union Pacific is specifically prohibited by
the plan for both the equity and debt portfolios, other than through index fund holdings.
Fair Value Measurements
The pension plan assets are valued at fair value. The following is a description of the valuation
methodologies used for the investments measured at fair value, including the general classification of
such instruments pursuant to the valuation hierarchy.
Temporary Cash Investments – These investments consist of U.S. dollars and foreign currencies held
in master trust accounts at The Northern Trust Company. Foreign currencies held are reported in terms
of U.S. dollars based on currency exchange rates readily available in active markets. These temporary
cash investments are classified as Level 1 investments.
Registered Investment Companies – Registered Investment Companies are real estate investments,
non-U.S. stock investments, and bond investments registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The real estate investments and non-U.S. stock investments are traded actively on public
exchanges. The share prices for these investments are published at the close of each business day.
Holdings of real estate investments and non-U.S. stock investments are classified as Level 1
investments. The bond investments are not traded publicly, but the underlying assets (stocks and bonds)
held in these funds are traded on active markets and the prices for these assets are readily observable.
Holdings in bond investments are classified as Level 2 investments.
Federal Government Securities – Federal Government Securities consist of bills, notes, bonds, and
other fixed income securities issued directly by the U.S. Treasury or by government-sponsored
enterprises. These assets are valued using a bid evaluation process with bid data provided by
independent pricing sources. Federal Government Securities are classified as Level 2 investments.
Bonds & Debentures – Bonds and debentures consist of fixed income securities issued by U.S. and
non-U.S. corporations as well as state and local governments. These assets are valued using a bid
evaluation process with bid data provided by independent pricing sources. Corporate, state, and
municipal bonds and debentures are classified as Level 2 investments.
Corporate Stock – This investment category consists of common and preferred stock issued by U.S. and
non-U.S. corporations. Most common shares are traded actively on exchanges and price quotes for
these shares are readily available. Common stock is classified as a Level 1 investment. Preferred shares
included in this category are valued using a bid evaluation process with bid data provided by independent
pricing sources. Preferred stock is classified as a Level 2 investment.
Venture Capital and Buyout Partnerships – This investment category is comprised of interests in
limited partnerships that invest in privately-held companies. Due to the private nature of the partnership
investments, pricing inputs are not readily observable. Asset valuations are developed by the general
partners that manage the partnerships. These valuations are based on the application of public market