Trustees who oversee the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System have voted to halt future investments in Russian assets, amid that Country’s Invasion of Ukraine. While some Board Members initially pushed for a full divestment, others say they would rather focus on the future and noted the fund’s current holdings in the country have been largely liquidated anyway.
Kansas has $36 million invested in Russian Equities as of Friday. That accounts for only about 14/100 of a percent of the pension fund’s total investments. The investments are largely holdings in Russian companies, but are not traded on the country’s stock exchange.
KPERS Staff called the move historic, saying it was the first time the Board unilaterally acted for external reasons. In the past, instructions to remove investments from politically objectionable regimes came from the Legislature. Foreign investors cannot trade in Russia at the moment, making it difficult to sell off any assets the State might hold.
