Wesleyan University endowment pool soars to 53.9% return

Wesleyan University's $1.7 billion managed pool of endowment assets returned 53.9% for the fiscal year ended June 30.

The pool's performance well exceeded its composite benchmark return of 38.3%, according to a year-end letter from Chief Investment Officer Anne Martin posted on the Middletown, Conn.-based university's website.

For the three, five and 10 years ended June 30, the endowment pool returned an annualized 20.2%, 17.6% and 11.9%, respectively, above the respective benchmarks of 14.5%, 13.1% and 9.2%.

The university's endowment pool had returned 8.8% for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.

For the most recent fiscal year, the highest-performing asset class was private equity, which returned 95.3% for the year ended June 30, well surpassing the asset class' composite benchmark return of 62%.

The next-highest performer was natural resources, which returned 53.4% (above its 32.2% benchmark), followed by global equities at 43.2% (vs. its 39.3% benchmark); absolute return, 28.1% (16.6%); real estate, 21.6% (19.6%); and fixed income, -1.3% (-1.2%).

Ms. Martin's letter did not specify whether the returns were gross or net of fees.

As of June 30, the endowment pool's actual allocation was 36.5% private equity, 21% absolute return, 19% global developed markets equities, 9% emerging markets equities, 8.5% real assets and 6% fixed income/cash.