pension plan assets pension assets include public equities , government and corporate bonds , cash and cash equivalents , private real estate funds , private partnerships , hedge funds , and other assets .plan assets are held in a master trust and overseen by the company's investment committee .all assets are externally managed through a combination of active and passive strategies .managers may only invest in the asset classes for which they have been appointed .the investment committee is responsible for setting the policy that provides the framework for management of the plan assets .the investment committee has set the minimum and maximum permitted values for each asset class in the company's pension plan master trust for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , as follows: .
[['u.s . equities', 'range 15', 'range -', 'range 36% ( 36 % )'], ['international equities', '10', '-', '29% ( 29 % )'], ['fixed income securities', '25', '-', '50% ( 50 % )'], ['alternative investments', '10', '-', '25% ( 25 % )']]
the general objectives of the company's pension asset strategy are to earn a rate of return over time to satisfy the benefit obligations of the plans , meet minimum erisa funding requirements , and maintain sufficient liquidity to pay benefits and address other cash requirements within the master trust .specific investment objectives include reducing the volatility of pension assets relative to benefit obligations , achieving a competitive , total investment return , achieving diversification between and within asset classes , and managing other risks .investment objectives for each asset class are determined based on specific risks and investment opportunities identified .decisions regarding investment policies and asset allocation are made with the understanding of the historical and prospective return and risk characteristics of various asset classes , the effect of asset allocations on funded status , future company contributions , and projected expenditures , including benefits .the company updates its asset allocations periodically .the company uses various analytics to determine the optimal asset mix and considers plan obligation characteristics , duration , liquidity characteristics , funding requirements , expected rates of return , regular rebalancing , and the distribution of returns .actual allocations to each asset class could vary from target allocations due to periodic investment strategy changes , short-term market value fluctuations , the length of time it takes to fully implement investment allocation positions , such as real estate and other alternative investments , and the timing of benefit payments and company contributions .taking into account the asset allocation ranges , the company determines the specific allocation of the master trust's investments within various asset classes .the master trust utilizes select investment strategies , which are executed through separate account or fund structures with external investment managers who demonstrate experience and expertise in the appropriate asset classes and styles .the selection of investment managers is done with careful evaluation of all aspects of performance and risk , demonstrated fiduciary responsibility , investment management experience , and a review of the investment managers' policies and processes .investment performance is monitored frequently against appropriate benchmarks and tracked to compliance guidelines with the assistance of third party consultants and performance evaluation tools and metrics .plan assets are stated at fair value .the company employs a variety of pricing sources to estimate the fair value of its pension plan assets , including independent pricing vendors , dealer or counterparty-supplied valuations , third- party appraisals , and appraisals prepared by the company's investment managers or other experts .investments in equity securities , common and preferred , are valued at the last reported sales price when an active market exists .securities for which official or last trade pricing on an active exchange is available are classified as level 1 .if closing prices are not available , securities are valued at the last trade price , if deemed reasonable , or a broker's quote in a non-active market , and are typically categorized as level 2 .investments in fixed-income securities are generally valued by independent pricing services or dealers who make markets in such securities .pricing methods are based upon market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities that are generally recognized by institutional traders , and fixed-income securities typically are categorized as level 2. .

Question: what is the difference in the range of u.s equities permitted in the company's pension plan?
Answer: 21%