BNY Report: Canadian pension plans post double digit returns in 2024
March 04, 2025
Canadian pension plans enjoyed positive returns in Q4 of 2024, according to the latest quarterly update from BNY’s Canadian Asset Strategy View.
The fund-level tracking service, which is based on $318 billion worth of investment assets in 72 Canadian corporate, public and university pension plans, reported that the one-year median return as of December 31, 2024 was 12.28%, including a 1.96% median return in Q4. The median 10-year annualized return was 6.92%.
In a statement, BNY’s Director of Global Risk Solutions, David Cohen, said that the annual returns were “commendable” in the context of significant economic and political uncertainty. “Most Equity markets posted positive returns in Q4 despite significant volatility towards the end of the quarter while fixed income detracted slightly due to an increase in yields. Private asset classes continue to provide strong support extending their positive performance for the year," he added.
Other highlights from the report include:
- US Equity posted the highest performance among traditional asset classes in Q4, with a quarterly median return of 8.08%.
- International Equity returns were the lowest in Q4, posting a negative quarterly return of -0.63%.
- Among non-traditional asset classes, Private Equity ended Q4 with a median return of 7.26%, while Real Estate delivered a 2.44% quarterly return.
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