Institutional plan sponsors gained 4.3% in the first quarter of 2013, with strong performance in U.S. equities a key factor in overall plan returns.
“A rising stock market in the United States propelled plans to another positive quarter, as U.S equities continue to be a core holding for institutional investors,” says William Frieske, senior performance consultant at Northern Trust Investment Risk & Analytical Services.
Public funds led all segments, gaining 5.1%, while foundations and endowments returned 4.5% and corporate pensions gained 4.2%.
The top-performing asset class was U.S. equities, in which the median program returned nearly 11% for the quarter.
The median international equity program gained 3.8% in the first quarter. Meanwhile, U.S. fixed income programs eked out a gain of less than 1% in the quarter, and non-U.S. bonds were flat, at 1%.