Portfolio performance
Learn how the investment portfolio of BC's College Pension Plan performed in recent years.
The plan has a long-term investment horizon and is able to withstand short-term market volatility. The board and BCI remain focused on holding a diversified investment portfolio that follows a disciplined, long-term approach to managing plan investments.
In the fiscal year ending August 31, 2021, the College Pension Plan's investment portfolio earned a net return of 16.9 per cent, exceeding the market benchmark of 13.9 per cent. The five-year annualized return was 9.6 per cent, exceeding the market benchmark of 9.0 per cent. Both the one-year and five-year returns exceeded the long-term nominal return objective of 6.25 per cent.
At fiscal year-end, the market value of the plan's investment assets was $6.7 billion, compared to $5.7 billion at the end of the prior fiscal year.
A benchmark is an industry standard against which an asset's actual rate of return is compared. The College Pension Board of Trustees uses benchmarks to measure how well the investment manager is doing compared to investment performance standards.
Rates of return against performance benchmarks (as at August 31):
| (All values %) | Investment returns | Performance benchmark |
| Annual Rates | ||
| 2021 | 16.9 | 13.9 |
| 2020 | 8.0 | 8.8 |
| 2019 | 5.8 | 4.5 |
| 2018 | 10.3 | 9.4 |
| 2017 | 7.3 | 7.1 |
| Five-year annualized rates | ||
| 2021 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| 2020 | 7.6 | 7.6 |
| 2019 | 7.4 | 6.7 |
| 2018 | 9.7 | 8.9 |
| 2017 | 9.7 | 8.8 |
| Ten-year annualized rates | ||
| 2021 | 9.7 | 8.7 |
| 2020 | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| 2019 | 8.7 | 7.6 |
| 2018 | 7.5 | 6.8 |
| 2017 | 6.6 | 6.0 |
Annual rate of return: the change in net asset values over a year due to interest income, dividends, fees and changes in market value.
Annualized rate of return: the average annual rate of return over a multi-year period. Annualized returns tend to be less volatile than annual returns, as they smooth out the ups and downs experienced over shorter timelines.