Crossing the Rubicon

The latest news and opinion from Rubicon Investment Consulting

A Merry Christmas for Irish Pension Funds

Irish pension managed funds rallied during December, gaining 0.5% on average over the month and wiping out November’s losses. Davy Asset Management topped the table over the final month of the year, with a gain of 0.9%, while Merrion Investment Managers were the only manager in negative territory over the month, delivering a loss of 0.2%.

With positive returns in two out of the three months, Irish pension managed funds returned 2.9% on average over the fourth quarter of the year. Davy Asset Management produced the strongest return over the quarter, at 3.9%; while Merrion Investment Managers’ 1.3% was the weakest quarterly return. Thanks to a strong finish, pension funds delivered a healthy 7.3% return on average over 2017. Returns for the calendar year ranged from 9.3% (Aberdeen Standard Investments) to 4.4% (Merrion Investment Managers).

The average managed fund return has been a robust 7.5% per annum over the past three years. The five-year average return is a strong 10.9% per annum. Irish group pension managed fund returns over the past ten years have been 5.3% per annum on average.