Irish pension managed funds rose by 2.4% on average during September. New Ireland delivered the best performance this month with a gain of 3.8%, while Merrion Investment Managers delivered the worst, with a return of 1.2%.

September rounded off a mixed, but generally positive, third quarter; over the past three months, the average managed fund returned 3.7%. The best return over the quarter came from Davy Asset Management’s managed fund, which delivered 5.6%, while the worst performer over the quarter was the Setanta Asset Management Managed Fund at 2.5%. Irish pension managed funds have gained an impressive 16.8% on average over the first nine months of 2019. Returns for the year to date ranged from 19.5% (Davy Asset Management) to 13.3% (Setanta Asset Management). Over the past twelve months the average fund return was a more modest 5.9%. Davy Asset Management top the table over the past year with a return of 10.1%, while Merrion Investment Managers produced the lowest return at 4.1%.

The average managed fund return has been strong over the past three years, at 7.6% per annum. The five-year average return is a healthy 7.5% per annum. Irish group pension managed fund returns over the past ten years have been a robust 9.1% per annum on average.