May was a bright month for Irish pension managed funds which gained 2.4% on average over the month. Zurich Life topped the table over the month, with a return of 3.6%, while New Ireland lagged the peer group over this period, with a return of 1.1%.

Managed funds are back in the black for 2018, with a gain of 1.9% on average over the first five months of the year. Zurich Life achieved the highest return so far this year, gaining 3.0%, while New Ireland have delivered the lowest return over the year to date at -0.3%. Over the past twelve months, Irish pension managed funds have delivered a 5.4% return on average. Returns for the past year ranged from 6.7% (Friends First/BMO) to 3.4% (New Ireland).

The average managed fund return has been a disappointing 3.6% per annum over the past three years. The five-year average return is a more robust 9.3% per annum. Irish group pension managed fund returns over the past ten years have been a healthy 6.4% per annum on average.