Irish pension managed funds gained 1.8% on average during July. Davy Asset Management turned in the best performance this month with a return of 2.5%, while New Ireland delivered the worst, with a return of 1.0%.

Pension funds have gained an impressive 14.6% on average over the first seven months of the year. Returns for the year to date ranged from 16.3% (Zurich Life) to 12.0% (Setanta Asset Management). Over the past twelve months the average fund return was a more modest 5.1%. Davy Asset Management top the table over the past year with a return of 8.8%, while Merrion Investment Managers produced the lowest return at 2.9%.

The average managed fund return has been a healthy 7.1% per annum over the past three years. The five-year average return is a robust 8.0% per annum. Irish group pension managed fund returns over the past ten years have been strong, at 9.5% per annum on average.