UK – Defence firm BAE Systems says it is in consultation about tackling its pension fund shortfalls, but insists that – contrary to some press comment - no decisions about closing some of its schemes has yet been made.

BAE has come under increasing scrutiny as it is estimated to have one of the largest pension deficits in relation to market capitalisation of all FTSE 100 firms. Credit Suisse First Boston said last week that there is a shortfall of 2.59 billion pounds (3.93 billion euros) in BAE’s pensions. That works out as around 75% of the firm’s market capitalisation. BAE would not confirm the exact deficit.

BAE has four principal UK schemes and two US schemes, and reports that the company may be forced to close some have surfaced in the UK press.

A spokesman at the company, however, insisted that “no decisions have yet been made” and that decisions made as a result of consultation would be announced shortly.

BAE is expected to reveal how it will tackle the deficit when it releases preliminary results on February 20.

Many companies are currently closing their defined benefit schemes to tackle shortfalls. But, says Ronald Bowie, chairman of the pensions board of the faculty and Institute of Actuaries, “any employer who does_so and thinks that they have made any material difference to their financial risk for the next 20 years or so has got their head in the sand”.

Companies are under the impression that by closing final salary schemes to new entrants, and replacing them with money purchase schemes, they are tackling liabilities by transferring risk to employees.

But, argues Bowie: “If they wind up and carry on investing in equities the risk is reduced but the problem does not go away.” In 10 years’ time “employers might have 60 million pounds invested in money purchase pensions but they will still have hundreds of millions in the defined benefit scheme, and all the financial risk will be bound up in the old scheme,” says Bowie.