Total assets of the 100 largest public pension funds were $2.495 trillion in the third quarter, up 6.2% from three months earlier and up 5.2% from a year earlier, according to a report issued by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The third-quarter asset amount is the highest level in two years, since the third quarter of 2008, the report said.
Investments in corporate stocks among the 100 funds totaled $798.3 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up 9.8%, while corporate bonds investments were $427.3 billion, a 3.2% gain, the report said.
The plans' holdings in U.S. Treasuries totaled $164.4 billion, down 1.1%. International securities investments by the public plans were up 13.9% to $451.6 billion, according to the report, posted on the bureau's website.