Institutional investors had a median 5.5% return on investments for the fourth quarter and 13% for the year ended Dec. 31, and foundations and endowments outperformed their corporate and public plan peers, according to data from Wilshire Analytics Trust Universe Comparison Service.
The median return on investments for foundations and endowments was 6% for the quarter and 14.1% for the year, compared with 5.7% for the quarter and 13.4% for the year for corporate plans. Public pension funds' median return was 5.6% for the quarter and 13.2% for the year.
The strongest returns reflect a higher allocation to real estate, alternative investments and international equity, said Hilarie C. Green, managing director of Wilshire's performance reporting division.
The TUCS universe includes more than 1,450 plans representing about $2.8 trillion in assets.
