Irish pension managed funds delivered negative returns on average for the first time since January 2014. During April, Irish pension managed funds declined 1.3% on average. Kleinwort Benson Investors took the top spot with a return of -0.2% for the month, while Zurich Life propped up the league table with a return of -2.1%.

Pension managed funds have still returned a very strong 11.8% on average over the first four months of 2015. Merrion Investment Managers are ahead of the pack over this period with a return of 15.0%, while Setanta Asset Management lagged the peer group, with a return of 10.2%. Over the past twelve months, the average fund return was 26.6%. Returns for the year ranged from 32.6% (Merrion Investment Managers) to 20.9% (New Ireland).

The average managed fund return has been a very strong 17.2% per annum over the past three years. The five-year average return is a healthy 11.7% per annum. Irish group pension managed fund returns over the past ten years have been 6.9% per annum on average.