Irish pension funds rose by 0.6% on average during August. Zurich Life delivered the best performance this month with a gain of 1.6%, while Merrion Investment Managers delivered the worst, with a return of -0.7%.

Irish pension funds have gained 4.0% on average over the first eight months of 2018. This figure masks a range of performances, however, as returns for the year to date ranged from 6.2% (Zurich Life) to 1.3% (New Ireland). Over the past twelve months the average fund return was a very healthy 9.7%. Zurich Life top the table over the past year with a return of 11.9%, while Merrion Investment Managers produced the lowest return at 7.1%.

The average managed fund return has been a robust 6.8% per annum over the past three years. The five-year average return is a strong 9.9% per annum. Irish group pension managed fund returns over the past ten years have been 7.5% per annum on average.