University of Kansas endowment's 37.1% return tops benchmark

University of Kansas' $2.2 billion endowment returned a net 37.1% for the fiscal year ended June 30, well above its benchmark return of 29%.

For the three, five and 10 years ended June 30, the Lawrence-based endowment returned an annualized net 13.3%, 12.5% and 8.5%, respectively, above their respective benchmarks of 9.8%, 9.8% and 7%, confirmed James G. Clarke, senior vice president of investments and treasurer at KU Endowment, a non-profit organization that oversees an endowment for the university.

The endowment returned a net 0.4% for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.

Individual asset class return and benchmark information was not provided in the report.

As of June 30, the endowment's actual allocation was 29.8% private investments; 15.1% marketable alternatives; 12% real assets; 10.7% international equities; 9.6% domestic equities; 6.6% global equities; 6.4% emerging markets equities; 4.5% fixed income; 3.9% opportunistic strategies; and 1.4% cash equivalents.

The target allocation is 30% private investments; 16% marketable alternatives; 12% real assets; 8% each domestic equities, global equities and international equities; and 6% each emerging markets equities and opportunistic strategies; 5% fixed income and 1% cash equivalents.