Preliminary Data Show Educational Endowments’ Investment Returns Averaged 15.8 Percent in FY2014

"With only a few exceptions, higher relative performance by the largest endowments is in keeping with the findings of our studies over more than a decade," commented Commonfund Institute Executive Director John S. Griswold. "Smaller endowments, which typically have the largest allocations to traditional asset classes, benefited from the strong performance of liquid domestic and international equities beginning in 2009. But the greater diversification practiced by the largest endowments and their emphasis on a variety of sources of return, both public and private, tends to result in higher long-term investment performance."