Northern Trust index shows Canadian pension plans grew 1.5% in final quarter of 2024
March 17, 2025
Canadian pension plans finished 2024 with the median plan returning 1.5% in the fourth quarter, and 10.6% over the year, according to the latest update from Northern Trust.
The Northern Trust Canada Universe tracks the performance of Canadian?institutional defined benefit plans that subscribe to Northern Trust’s performance measurement services.
“Whether the economic tone is one of caution or optimism, plan sponsors are adapting well as they continue to modernize frameworks and implement strategies to secure consistent growth and protection of their respective pension plan investments both now and into the future,” said Katie Pries, President and CEO of Northern Trust Canada.
Other highlights from the report include:
- Canadian Equities advanced 3.8% for the quarter and 21.7% for the year, with the Information Technology sector leading performance in both periods. The Communications Services sector was the weakest performer for both the quarter and the year.
- U.S. Equities generated a 9.0% gain for the quarter and 36.4% for the year, with the Consumer Discretionary, Communications Services, Information Technology and Financials sectors producing the largest gains for the quarter and the year. The Real Estate, Materials and Health Care sectors recorded the weakest returns for the same periods.
- International developed markets declined by 2.1% for the quarter, but returned 13.8% for the full year. The Financials sector led performance for the year, while the Materials and Energy sectors posted the weakest performance.
To read the report, click on more information below:
