Harvard University’s endowment posted a 5.8% return and was valued at $37.6 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, said a report issued by Harvard Management Co., which oversees the endowment for the Cambridge, Mass.-based university.
The return was above the 3.9% return of Harvard’s benchmark policy portfolio.
Harvard’s real estate investments returned 19.4% in the year, above a custom benchmark that returned 11.5%, said the endowment’s annual report. Private equity, meanwhile, returned 11.8%, vs. its benchmark, of 10.8%.
Natural resources and commodities returned 3.5%, vs. 3.1% for its benchmark; public equities gained 2.9% vs. -0.5% for its benchmark; fixed income, 2.1%, vs. -2.5%; absolute return, 0.1%, vs. 3.5%.
The endowment has earned an average annual return of 10.5% over the past five years, vs. 9.1% for its benchmark; 11.8% for 10 years, compared with 8.5% for its benchmark; and 11.8% over the past 20 years, vs. 8.8% for the benchmark.
