Our asset allocation policy is based on our belief that over the long term, an asset mix with greater exposure to private market investments is better positioned to generate strong, predictable returns and consistent cash flow with reduced risk to meet the Plan's funding requirements. This Board approved policy sets the focus and parameters of how we invest in public and private markets. Our investment strategy over the long term is to maintain our asset mix exposure to public market investments, such as public equities and interest bearing investments at approximately 53% of the Plan's net investment assets with the remaining 47% representing exposure to private market investments, such as private equity, infrastructure and real estate.
At the end of 2011, the Plan’s public markets investments represented 57.6 per cent of net investment assets and private markets investments represented 42.4 per cent of net investment assets. The investment in private markets is up from 38.3 per cent at December 31, 2010. Depending on the relative 2012 investment returns in public versus private market asset classes and investment opportunities in the private market asset classes, the Plan may be close to achieving its target allocations by the end of 2012.