For the most recent fiscal year, the endowment’s return equaled the median return of 10% among the 50 college and university endowments whose returns for the period have been tracked by Pensions & Investments as of Nov. 19.
Bucknell’s endowment report did not provide specific returns by asset class, but said allocations to public markets, fixed income and real estate contributed to positive returns.
“Strategic repositioning within the fixed income portfolio enabled the endowment to capitalize on evolving market trends, resulting in notable outperformance against the benchmark,” the report said. “The private real estate portfolio continued to excel, driven by a focused thematic investment strategy.”
Like other college and university endowments in fiscal year 2024, Bucknell said private equity and venture capital underperformed for the period compared with public markets, but noted, however, that “these portfolios are designed for long-term growth, with a structure that supports potential gains over time.”
As of June 30, the endowment's actual allocation was 64% growth assets, 17% hybrid assets, 10% real estate and 9% low-volatility assets.
The target allocation is 64% growth assets, 18% hybrid assets, 10% real estate and 8% low-volatility assets.
