Crossing the Rubicon

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Irish Pension Managed Funds Make Strong Gains in February

Irish pension managed funds enjoyed strong returns during February, gaining 3.2% on average over the month. Friends First/BMO topped the table over the second month of the year, with a return of 3.8%, while Merrion Investment Managers lagged the peer group over the month, with a return of 2.2%.

When the lacklustre returns delivered during January are taken into account, managed funds have gained 2.9% on average over the first two months of the year. Standard Life are leading the charge over the year to date, with a return of 3.8%, while Merrion Investment Managers are trailing behind at 1.1%. Over the past twelve months, Irish pension managed funds have delivered a very healthy 14.8% return on average. This figure masks a wide range of performances, as returns for the past year ranged from 18.6% (Setanta Asset Management) to 7.9% (Merrion Investment Managers), representing a difference of almost 11% between the best and worst performing funds in just 12 months.

The average managed fund return has been 10.8% per annum over the past three years. The five-year average return is a strong 11.6% per annum. Irish group pension managed fund returns over the past ten years have been 4.6% per annum on average.