Legislature(2017 - 2018)SENATE FINANCE 532

02/24/2017 08:30 AM Senate FINANCE

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08:38:55 AM Start
08:39:54 AM Projections and Forecasting Alaska Permanent Fund
09:31:38 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Projections and Forecasting Alaska Permanent Fund TELECONFERENCED
Mr. Greg Allen, President and Director of
Research, Callan Associates
Mr. Steve Center, CFA, Senior Vice President
Callan Associates
                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                     February 24, 2017                                                                                          
                         8:38 a.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:38:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman   called  the  Senate   Finance  Committee                                                                    
meeting to order at 8:38 a.m.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair                                                                                                 
Senator Click Bishop, Vice-Chair                                                                                                
Senator Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                           
Senator Peter Micciche                                                                                                          
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Anna MacKinnon, Co-Chair                                                                                                
Senator Natasha von Imhof                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Steve   Center,   CFA,   Senior   Vice   President,   Callan                                                                    
Associates; Greg Allen, President  and Director of Research,                                                                    
Callan Associates.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
^PROJECTIONS AND FORECASTING ALASKA PERMANENT FUND                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:39:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
STEVE   CENTER,   CFA,   SENIOR   VICE   PRESIDENT,   CALLAN                                                                    
ASSOCIATES, introduced himself.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:40:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GREG  ALLEN,  PRESIDENT  AND DIRECTOR  OF  RESEARCH,  CALLAN                                                                    
ASSOCIATES, introduced  himself. He explained  the functions                                                                    
of   Callan  Associates.   He   discussed  the   PowerPoint,                                                                    
"Callan's  Return  Projection  Methodology  for  the  Alaska                                                                    
Permanent Fund;  Capital Market Expectations,  Total Return,                                                                    
and Statutory Return" (copy on file).                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Allen addressed slide 2, "Projected Returns for the                                                                         
Alaska Permanent Fund; Background":                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska  Permanent  Fund  for the  past  15  years,  and                                                                    
     provides projections  to assist the Board  and Staff in                                                                    
     the management of the Fund.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     maintained   by  Callan,   Fund  specific   information                                                                    
     provided  by  APFC  Staff,   and  a  sophisticated  and                                                                    
     flexible model of the accounting  framework to allow us                                                                    
     to   test  various   spending   and  asset   allocation                                                                    
     proposals.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     full  range of  potential  outcomes  from best-case  to                                                                    
     worst-case, with associated probabilities.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     financial variables including                                                                                              
          - Total Return                                                                                                        
          - Statutory Return                                                                                                    
          - Market Value                                                                                                        
          - Earnings Reserve Balance                                                                                            
          - Distributions                                                                                                       
                   s been used many times over the years to                                                                     
     analyze  various  proposals  related to  the  Permanent                                                                    
     Fund,   including   three  legislative   proposals   in                                                                    
     February of 2016.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:44:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Allen looked at slide 3, "Return Projections FY 2017;                                                                       
Latest Projections for Total and Statutory Return":                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
       Return projection period was assumed to begin July                                                                       
     1, 2016.                                                                                                                   
                              -basis inputs were as of June                                                                     
     30, 2016.                                                                                                                  
        -year returns for FY 2017 do not take into account                                                                      
     performance in the first half of the fiscal year.                                                                          
                -year total real return expectation is 4.70                                                                     
     percent, below  the 5  percent real  return expectation                                                                    
     that has been employed as a target by the                                                                                  
     APFC.                                                                                                                      
               -point of these distributions is just one                                                                        
     potential outcome.  It is important to  recognized that                                                                    
     the Fund takes on risk therefore there can be                                                                              
     significant variance relative to the mid-point                                                                             
     projections.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:48:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman noted  that  Callan  advised trillions  of                                                                    
assets   for   other   entities.   He   wondered   how   the                                                                    
recommendations  differed from  the  current breakdown.  Mr.                                                                    
Allen  explained that  the calculations  were created  using                                                                    
the  different  assets  that  made  up  the  Permanent  Fund                                                                    
portfolio.   He  stressed   that  the   numbers  should   be                                                                    
considered "consensus numbers." He  remarked that Callan was                                                                    
not  necessarily different  than their  peers. He  explained                                                                    
that  the  difference with  the  Permanent  Fund model,  was                                                                    
based on  the specific  investment strategy. He  referred to                                                                    
slide 6,  which was  the asset  allocation of  the Permanent                                                                    
Fund.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:50:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman wondered  whether Mr.  Allen was  familiar                                                                    
with SB 128  from the previous session.  He wondered whether                                                                    
that would  significantly alter  the allocations.  Mr. Allen                                                                    
replied  that   he  would  discuss  what   might  alter  the                                                                    
Permanent Fund.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:57:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  wondered  whether  there  were  steps  to                                                                    
forego the  drastic problems  with two bad  years in  a row.                                                                    
Mr. Allen  replied that the  Permanent Fund was in  a better                                                                    
position than  15 years prior, because  the Earnings Reserve                                                                    
was currently very  large. The ending value  of the Earnings                                                                    
Reserve was the largest that it  had ever been at the end of                                                                    
a fiscal year.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Micciche  noted   the  five-year  running  average,                                                                    
resulted in a lower effective  rate. He wondered whether the                                                                    
FY 18  rate of  4.56 percent the  referred to  the effective                                                                    
amount or the POMV. Mr.  Allen replied that he was referring                                                                    
to the actual  POMV amount, assuming that it  was applied to                                                                    
five  out of  six. That  would translate  into an  effective                                                                    
rate of  4.6 or 4.7  percent over  time. He stated  that the                                                                    
expected  real return  over ten  years was  4.7 percent.  He                                                                    
counseled  that  the  committee choose  an  effective  POMV,                                                                    
which was close to the expected real return.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Allen highlighted slide 4, "Capital Market Assumptions;                                                                     
Projected Return and Standard Deviation":                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                     -year capital market                                                                       
     expectations for all models.                                                                                               
                                    annually and used for                                                                       
     strategic planning work for all client types.                                                                              
                     -term consensus expectations.                                                                              
                                          optimization and                                                                      
     simulation analysis.                                                                                                       
                                    evolve slowly with only                                                                     
     modest year-to-year changes.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Allen addressed slide 5, "Capital Market Assumptions;                                                                       
Projected Correlation Matrix":                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
                                                      re the                                                                    
     third dimension of capital market expectations.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     pair in the matrix.                                                                                                        
                                                           -                                                                    
     definite) as a set in order to work properly in                                                                            
     optimization and simulation analysis.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Allen looked at slide 6, "Assumed Asset Allocation;                                                                         
Used 2017 Target Allocation Adopted by Board in September,                                                                      
2016":                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                         allocation across                                                                      
     entire 10-year projection period.                                                                                          
                                      very close to actual                                                                      
     asset allocation as of June 30, 2016.                                                                                      
                                  assumed which yields more                                                                     
     comparable results across the models.                                                                                      
                                     important because they                                                                     
     impact turnover in the portfolio which results in                                                                          
     gains realization.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Expected Return: 6.95 percent                                                                                              
     Standard Deviation: 12.38 percent                                                                                          
     Expected Real Return: 4.70 percent                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Allen addressed slide 7, "Statutory Net Income and                                                                          
Permanent Fund Mechanics":                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     can lend some insight into the expectations for                                                                            
     Statutory Net Income which determines Statutory Net                                                                        
     Return.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     and realized capital gains in each fiscal year.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     to a number of factors which, in turn, will influence                                                                      
     the Statutory Net Return over time.                                                                                        
          - Ratio of income producing assets to capital                                                                         
          gains oriented assets;                                                                                                
          - Turnover;                                                                                                           
          - Active versus passive management;                                                                                   
          - The use of illiquid asset classes such as real                                                                      
          estate, private equity, infrastructure;                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     history of a number of important variables to help put                                                                     
     Statutory Net Income into context.                                                                                         
          - Fund Market Value;                                                                                                  
          - Oil revenue;                                                                                                        
         - Statutory Net Income (realized income);                                                                              
          - Earnings reserve balance;                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:01:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Allen recalled  slide 4, with the projected  return of 3                                                                    
percent for fixed  income for the following  ten years. That                                                                    
was one  of the lowest  fixed income return  projection that                                                                    
he had seen, which reflected the low-income rates.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bishop remarked  that wondered  if there  was an                                                                    
anticipated change in asset allocations.   Mr. Allen replied                                                                    
that the new  chief investment officer laid  out a five-year                                                                    
plan for  the asset allocation  of the Permanent  Fund. That                                                                    
plan  did  not  involve  big changes.  He  stated  that  the                                                                    
mixture   between  income   producing   assets  and   growth                                                                    
producing  assets would  not change  in the  five-year plan.                                                                    
The change  was that  there would  be more  allocated toward                                                                    
the private investments.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Allen  continued to  discuss slide  7. He  discussed the                                                                    
concept  of statutory  net return  or "realized  return" and                                                                    
its  relationship  to  total  return.  He  stated  that  the                                                                    
statutory  return would  sometimes  be  negative. He  shared                                                                    
that the statutory return was  the ratio of income-producing                                                                    
stocks  versus growth-producing  assets.  He announced  that                                                                    
bonds generated  coupons, which  represented income  and was                                                                    
reliable. The Permanent  Fund began as a  bond portfolio, so                                                                    
the  entire return  was  income. He  stated  that, over  the                                                                    
years,  there  was  less income  and  more  growth-producing                                                                    
assets in pursuit  of the higher rate of  return. The growth                                                                    
assets did  not earn  the return until  the stock  was sold.                                                                    
The earnings were not realized  until the turnover occurred,                                                                    
or  the percentage  of  the buying  and  selling within  the                                                                    
portfolio.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:06:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Allen discussed  slide 8,  "Mechanics of  the Permanent                                                                    
Fund; Market Value over Time":                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     year to year based on market performance.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     downturns in 2001-2002, and 2009-2009.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     roughly $53 Billion.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     distributions, and to a limited extent, oil revenue.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bishop  surmised that the statutory  returns were                                                                    
real money. Mr. Allen replied in the affirmative.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bishop  stressed  that using  statutory  returns                                                                    
dealt with  real money, so  they were  less apt to  "get the                                                                    
fund in trouble." Mr. Allen  replied that he "would not take                                                                    
that leap."  He stated that examining  statutory returns was                                                                    
important, because until the return  was realized it did not                                                                    
get moved  into the earnings  reserve. If the money  was not                                                                    
in the earnings reserve, the money could not be spent.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bishop   announced  that  the  state   would  be                                                                    
realistic   in  the   multiplier  to   avoid  the   negative                                                                    
situation. Mr. Allen agreed.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:10:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Micciche  looked at  slide 8,  and wondered  what an                                                                    
overlay of  a similar  sovereign fund would  look like  as a                                                                    
comparison. Mr. Allen replied that it would be similar.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Micciche wondered  whether  the  other funds  would                                                                    
have a  similar slope.  Mr. Allen replied  that there  was a                                                                    
measure called  "maximum draw down"  that measured  how much                                                                    
the  fund lost.  He  ranked  the maximum  draw  down of  the                                                                    
Permanent   Fund   versus   all  the   other   institutional                                                                    
investors.  The  Permanent  Fund  ranked in  the  top  tenth                                                                    
percentile in avoiding the losses.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Allen   addressed  slide  9,  "Statutory   Net  Income;                                                                    
Statutory Net Income over Time":                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
            tory Net Income is the total of realized income                                                                     
     and realized capital gains.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     yields have  declined) Statutory Net Income  has become                                                                    
     increasingly dominated by realized gains and losses.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     market value.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     positive total  fund returns but  very low  to negative                                                                    
     Statutory Net Income.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:16:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Allen  highlighted  slide  10,  "Statutory  Net  Income                                                                    
Projection; Conclusions":                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                           f                                                                    
     different dynamic  factors besides the total  return on                                                                    
     the portfolio.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     appreciation   focused   investments    will   have   a                                                                    
     significant impact.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     focused investments will also have an impact.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     have a meaningful impact.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     realization  of gains  or losses  in the  portfolio and                                                                    
     will have an impact.                                                                                                       
                          s for statutory net income are                                                                        
     probably  on the  high side  due to  the assumption  of                                                                    
     quarterly rebalancing. APFC  Investment Staff employs a                                                                    
     much more  efficient and sensible  rebalancing approach                                                                    
     in practice.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  noted that the legislature  gave the board                                                                    
the  authority to  invest on  the  international market.  He                                                                    
queried the  last major investment  guideline change  to the                                                                    
board from  the legislature. He wondered  whether there were                                                                    
any  other changes  that other  major funds  had considered.                                                                    
Mr.  Allen responded  that there  was a  point approximately                                                                    
ten  years prior  at which  the  fund was  given a  "prudent                                                                    
person  perspective." He  stated  the fund  could invest  in                                                                    
almost anything, as  long as a "prudent person  in a similar                                                                    
position would also invest in that."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:19:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dunleavy  wondered whether  the demand to  sustain a                                                                    
draw to lead the corporation  to sell prematurely to reach a                                                                    
goal. Mr. Allen replied that he  did not believe so. He felt                                                                    
that sensible choices in terms of POMV.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Micciche surmised  that the  max payout  was known,                                                                    
but  not  the  subtracted  amount. Mr.  Allen  replied  that                                                                    
certainty helps.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:26:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Micciche  wondered whether  the revenue  limit could                                                                    
be a  diversification method. Mr.  Allen replied  that there                                                                    
would be more in the fund at higher oil revenue.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:27:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bishop wondered  whether birth  rate projections                                                                    
should be  factored into  the model  of the  percentage. Mr.                                                                    
Callan did not  have an opinion on the impact  of birth rate                                                                    
on the cost of government.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bishop stressed  that  the newly  born would  be                                                                    
given a dividend. Mr. Allen  replied that the dividend would                                                                    
be a fixed dollar amount under the new formula.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator Micciche noted that the  proposal was a fixed payout                                                                    
for three years,  then was adjusted to a  formula that would                                                                    
be  the total  amount  divided by  the  number of  qualified                                                                    
Alaskans. Mr. Allen  replied that the model  showed that the                                                                    
population did not change significantly year to year.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman queried closing comments.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
9:31:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 9:31 a.m.                                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
022417 Return Projection Methodology APFC 01.17.17.pdf SFIN 2/24/2017 8:30:00 AM
APFC
022417 Callan - APFC - SFC.pdf SFIN 2/24/2017 8:30:00 AM
APFC