Sara Lee Corp., Downers Grove, Ill., contributed $187 million in cash to its worldwide pension plans in the nine months ended March 31, according to its third-quarter earnings release, issued Thursday.
The food company contributed $115 million to its pension plans during the same nine-month period a year ago.
Sara Lee had $1.25 billion in U.S. defined benefit plan assets and $3.27 billion of international DB plan assets as of July 2, 2011, the end of its fiscal year, according to the company’s latest annual report.
Funding ratios for the U.S. and international plans at that time were 91.2% and 105.1%, respectively.
In a separate filing the SEC received on Feb. 7, the company said it expects to contribute a total of $220 million to its worldwide pension plans during fiscal 2012.
Asset allocation for the combined plans as of July 2, 2011 was 71% fixed income; 19.3% equities; 4.9% other; 2.7% cash, and 2.1% real estate.
