Irish pension managed funds enjoyed positive returns during February, gaining 2.8% on average over the month. Zurich Life topped the table over the second month of the year, with a return of 3.2%, while Friends First/BMO and Merrion Investment Managers lagged the peer group over the month, with returns of 2.3%.

February’s gains consolidated January’s strong returns, meaning managed funds have grown 8.4% on average over the first two months of the year. Zurich Life gained the most ground over the year to date, with a return of 9.3%, while Davy Asset Management gained the least with a return of 7.7%. Over the past twelve months, Irish pension managed funds have delivered 3.7% on average. Returns for the past year ranged from 7.6% (Setanta Asset Management) to -0.9% (Merrion Investment Managers).

The average managed fund return has been 7.1% per annum over the past three years. The five-year average return is a robust 7.8% per annum. Irish group pension managed fund returns over the past ten years have been a strong 11.0% per annum on average.