WH Smith PLC (LSE:SMWH) said its pension trust completed a buy-in of its defined benefit, or final salary, pension scheme through the purchase of a bulk annuity insurance policy from Standard Life.
The buy-in insures all liabilities to pay all future defined benefit pensions to WH Smith Pension Trust's 12,950 members and any eligible dependants, the company said in a statement.
Many companies are looking to buy-in deals with insurers to remove the risk of defined benefit pension schemes from their balance sheets.
WH Smith said the insurance policy was purchased using most of the existing assets held within the Trust, without the need for the company to make any additional contributions.
The buy-in removes longevity and other demographic risks as well as investment, interest rate and inflation risks, it added.
Following the deal, WH Smith will no longer be required to make any future contributions into the Trust regarding defined benefit liabilities.