ABC is the portfolio manager for Nkawkaw branch of GCTU. He has been responsible for Employee Retirement Plan, a national pension fund in Ghana since 2012. Ghanas services and employee payrolls have expanded in each of the past 10 years. Contributions to the plan in fiscal 2017 exceeded benefit payments by a three-to-one ratio. The plan board of trustees directed ABC 5 years ago to invest for total return over the long term. However, as trustees of this highly visible public fund, they cautioned him that volatile or erratic results could cause them embarrassment. They also noted a state statute that mandated that not more than 25% of the plans assets (at cost) be invested in common stocks. At the annual meeting of the trustees in November 2017, ABC presented the following portfolio and performance report to the board: GCTU Employee Retirement Plan Asset Mix as of 9/30/20 At Cost (millions) At Market (millions) Fixed-income assets: Short-term securities GHs 4.5 11.0% GHs4.5 11.4% Long-term bonds and mortgages 26.5 64.7 23.5 59.5 Common stocks 10.0 24.3 11.5 29.1 GHs41.0 100.0% GHs39.5 100.0% Investment Performance Annual Rates of Return for Periods Ending 9/30/17 5 Years 1 Year Total GCTU Fund: Time-weighted 8.2% 5.2% Dollar-weighted (internal) 7.7% 4.8% Assumed actuarial return 6.0% 6.0% Treasury bills 7.5% 11.3% Large sample of pension funds (average 60% equities, 40% fixed income) 10.1% 14.3% Common stocks GCTU Fund 13.3% 14.3% GCTU portfolio beta coefficient 0.90 0.89 Standard & Poors 500 stock index 13.8% 21.1% Fixed-income securities GCTU Fund 6.7% 1.0% Salomon Brothers bond index 4.0% -11.4% ABC was proud of his performance and was chagrined when a trustee made the following critical observations: a) Our 1-year results were terrible, and its what youve done for us lately that counts most. b) Our total fund performance was clearly inferior compared to the large sample of other pension funds for the last 5 years. What else could this reflect except poor management judgment? c) Our common stock performance was especially poor for the 5-year period. d) Why bother to compare your returns to the return from Treasury bills and the actuarial assumption rate? What your competition could have earned for us or how we would have fared if invested in a passive index (which doesnt charge a fee) are the only relevant measures of performance. e) Who cares about time-weighted return? If it cant pay pensions, what good is it! Required: Appraise the merits of each of these statements and give counterarguments that ABC can use.